


When You Look At Me

by MuffledMango



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-06-26 23:56:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15673866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffledMango/pseuds/MuffledMango
Summary: Usopp is a nerdy loner who has recently moved to the exotic city Sabaody to attend the Grand Line University. Everything was pretty much normal, until he gains unexpected company and his walls slowly, but surely, start to crumble down around him.





	1. Chapter 1

March was slowly coming to an end and although the weather was rarely really cold here, the gusts of wind were steadily growing warmer in the city of Sabaody. There was a different scent clinging to the breeze as well; a sweet fragrance of grass and blossoming flowers. Only a few couple of clouds were sailing lazily across the never-ending sky, bathing in the light from the everlasting brilliance of the sun.

 

Usopp had carefully selected a spot, in the shade of a tree, to have his lunch and as he sat, back against the trunk, the other students of Grand Line University drifted past him, casually laughing and engaging in conversations with each other. He watched them all from the shadow, deeming himself completely invisible. The boy didn't particularly enjoy hiding away, but it had somehow become a part of him, of his identity. His lose t-shirt, embellished by a golden triforce symbol, his baggy, brown jeans and the yellow, tattered cap pulled down over his unruly, black curls, where chosen to help him hide within himself. Even his tan skin served as camouflage in the dimness. The feeling of not really belonging anywhere had become quite familiar to him and living vicariously through the unknown faces around him had become a habit of self-protection.

In spite of everything, he did like this school. He was quite new to the place still, having only been there for a couple of months. He'd decided to ditch his hometown, the place he was born and raised, using the last money his mother had left him, after she passed away, to get here.

Usopp had always wanted to go somewhere new and exotic and no matter how hard things had gotten around him, he'd always found comfort in that tiny part of his heart, telling him that somewhere in the world someone was waiting for him. So when the chance to leave had presented itself to him, he'd taken it without the slightest hesitation and he'd never looked back; it was the bravest thing he'd ever done.

 

Thing's had been kind of hectic when he'd first arrived, but with a mixture of determination and pure luck, he'd been able to acquire both a dorm room and a job within only a couple of days. Everything had fallen into place and the boy was happier than he'd ever been in his life.

The curly-haired outcast had even managed to befriend someone; a young, tiny-framed med student called Chopper. Usopp had ever really only had one friend his entire life, so even though he wasn't suffering from social anxiety, things had been pretty awkward in the beginning. They'd met at the library a couple of weeks ago. Usopp hadn't thought very much of it when the boy had pointed him in direction of the correct shelf with a squeaky, little voice, but when Chopper had reacted with flailing arms and a silly expression on his face to a simple, friendly compliment, Usopp could do nothing but respond with a hearty chuckle.

Since that they'd been hanging out now and then, which was a big deal for a castaway.

 

"Usopp," a high-pitched voice greeted, making the boy shift his attention from the book he'd picked up after finishing his lunch.

"Ah! Hi, Chopper," he returned with a grin and an informal wave.

"I was beginning to think that you where going to leave me hanging," Usopp continued, narrowing his eyes accusingly at the younger one.

"N-no," he promptly chirped back and watched his friend with offended eyes ; when he saw the taunting smirk across Usopps face his entire face flushed.

"Don't tease my like that," Chopper muttered and glared at his friend.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," Usopp laughed out loud, making the tiny frame infront of him instantly thaw and giggle along.

"You're just so adorable when you get all flustered," the boy said under his breath and reached out to pinch Choppers cheek. His hand was slapped away before he could grap it.

"I'm not adorable! I'm a man and... - manly!" the fuzzy-haired boy exclaimed with a wobbly screech, which caused Usopp to violently sputter out a heartfelt laughter. With no delay the burst was reciprocated by Choppers and within seconds they were both splayed out on the grass, holding their stomachs from the cramps, not giving any regard to the wide-eyed people passing by.

 

That was how it usually went when the two of them hung out; it was easy and fun and Usopp treasured these moments and this new friendship more than anything. For the first time in his life he didn't feel completely worthless and the more time the two of them spent together, the more certain he grew that this was indeed a real friend and not just his wishful mind playing tricks on him.

 

After a little while of catching up, the pair had gotten out a book each to study. Neither of them had anymore lectures for the rest of the day and somehow the two of them had silently agreed that studying in each others company was a much better option than studying alone.

Usopp looked up from his book when he heard a loud, familiar noise and saw a group of people settling on the grass, not far from the spot he'd found in the shade. An agitated snort escaped the boy as he rolled his eyes before returning his attention to the book resting on his knees.

"Uhm, what was that for?" Chopper asked curiously with a raised brow.

"Oh, I..." Usopp shook his head a bit and shrugged. He hadn't really realized that he'd said anything out loud.

"It's just those people over there," he continued and nodded towards the spot in the sun where the group was now chattering and laughing rambunctiously.

"I've seen them a couple of times and they're always acting like they own the entire place," the boy was still glaring at them as he spoke in a half-vexed tone.

"Do you know them?" Chopper inquired cautiously, making the curly-haired boy tilt his head.

"No? But trust me, I know the "popular clique" when I see them," he huffed, making air quotes with his fingers.

"And they're not all that," Usopp finished, trying his hardest to sound tougher than how he actually felt.

 

For some reason those kind of people had always been breathing down his neck, ready to point out any mistake and hysterically laugh about it when he was face down in the mud. Usopp definitely knew their type and he was more than fine as long as they kept their distance.

From the cool of the shade, the group seemed even more sparkling and slick than they probably were; there were two girls, one redhead and one with raven black hair, both dressed to impress. There was a mossy haired guy seemingly taking a nap, resting his head on another boy who couldn't sit still for the life of him. This boy, who was always wearing a hat of straw, came across as the leader of the pack. Then there was a giant with a blue mohawky type hairdo; he could mostly be heard from miles away, just like the radiating colors of the Hawaii-shirts he always wore could be seen from miles away. An older guy with big hair, even wilder than Usopps, was playing a guitar, making a cheery atmosphere around the small crowd. And then there was a blond guy with a weirdly curled eyebrow. Usopp had only ever seen him wearing suits and dress shirts, which he found quite pretentious.

He looked at his own worn-out sneakers and sighed.

 

Chopper stared at him, looked over his shoulder at the group, then back at his friend again.

"I know them," he peeped in a way that almost sounded more like a question than a fact.

Usopp blinked a couple of times as he felt a sudden squeezing sensation sneaking through his stomach and up his throat.

"W-what? Really?" was all he could say.

"Yeah, actually," Chopper grinned nervously.

"That girl is the reason I was late today," he continued and pointed to the raven haired one.

Usopp studied her and the rest of the group again; he definitely felt like he was missing the link between the guy he'd been kidding around with and those people.

"I helped her out in the library. She needed something very specific and luckily I was able to point her in the right direction," the fuzzy-haired boy muttered proudly as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Ah, like you helped me when we first met?" Usopp grinned, relieved he'd found the missing link, which apparently didn't even exist in the first place.

"So you don't really know them then," he stated, feeling the tightening of his body loosening up a bit.

"Oi, Chopper!" a loud, uneasily familiar voice cried out, interrupting their conversation and making Usopps body jump a bit. When he turned his head he saw the straw-hat bearing kid waving towards them with an enormous grin plastered on his face.

"Luffy, hi!" Chopper waved back, matching the rubbery smile, before turning to face Usopp again with an apologetic look in his eyes.

"Who's your friend?" the one, who's apparently named Luffy, yelled out and pointed blatantly at the outcast.

He felt his insides clench right back into a vibrating knot; unprepared and highly reluctant he glared at the boy beaming at him from the sun, then at his friend who'd gotten up from his seat on the lawn.

"Come on," Chopper offered a reassuring smile.

"They're all really great, I think you'll like them," he continued.

Usopp forced a curve upon his lips, which probably ended out looking more like some odd grimace than a smile.

"And I know they'll all like you a lot," the boy sang with a chipper voice and reached out his hand to help the other up on his feet as well.

"Sure," Usopp grumbled, not convincing at all.

"Let's just get this over with," he whispered under his breath, before the two of them moved out of the shade.

 

The contrast, going from calm and shadowy into direct sunlight, was almost suffocating. All consuming and heavy, the warmth enclosed Usopp, rendering him unable to interpret anything coherent from his muffled thoughts. He tried to not remember the last time he'd felt this uncomfortable and was once again reminded of the way he'd been treated back home. Incapable of seeing how things could be any different this time around, he made a silent agreement with himself to get this over and done with as quickly as possible.

When they stepped up near the group, Usopp realized that he'd never seen them up close before; for some reason, they seemed much less frightening now than he'd imagined. A flicker of hope singed in his chest, which he decisively tried to ignore.

"Usopp, this is..." Chopper paused and looked around at the group before continuing with a giggle.

"...everyone! Everyone, meet Usopp,"

A strange-looking excuse of a smile was still stuck on the curly-haired boys face and he could feel every-ones eyes on him, definitely judging every single detail about him. It suddenly felt like he'd forgotten how to stand like a normal person.

"Join us!" Luffy exclaimed without a second thought.

"Do you guys have any snacks?" he continued in an instant, as if it was the most natural thing to ask.

The red-haired girl reached out and slapped the back of the boys head with a gloomy look on her face.

"Don't listen do him, that moron," she spoke kindly to Usopp, all the while shooting a deadly look through the corner of her eye at an aching Luffy.

"I'm Nami, it's nice to meet you! And this is Luffy," her smile was big and welcoming and if there was any superiority or condescension hidden behind her coppery eyes, the boy was unable to spot it.

"Franky's the name!" the one in the flashy shirt proclaimed as the two of them settled on the grass.

"It's super nice to meet ya," he winked and threw out a thumbs up.

Usopp was beyond overwhelmed at this point; his heart was pumping away in a fight-or-flight kinda way, but at the same time it didn't seem like there was any danger to be alert to. At all. He wanted to answer their greets, but for now he was numbed by his own state of mind and had to settle with smiling and nodding.

"Robin," the raven-haired girl leaned in from behind Nami and gracefully waved a pale hand.

"Pleasure to meat you," she said with a smile as sweet as honey.

The guy with the guitar stroke a magnificent chord and laughed, even though it sounded more like a joyful song.

"I'm Brook," he simply hummed before re-attaching his eyes onto string-plucking fingers.

"Oh, and this is Zoro," Luffy blurted as if he'd forgotten and pointed to the guy napping in his lap.

"Zoro, wake up and say hello to the new guy!" the boy smacked the unconscious one right on his forehead.

The newcomer widened his eyes and expected some sort of explosion from the muscular moss-head, but he didn't even flinch. He gathered that this must be something that happens on a regular basis, because no one batted an eye.

"And that one, over there, is Sanji," Luffy nodded towards the blond, suit-wearing guy.

Usopp, who was still struggling, desperately trying to remember all their names while attempting to control the drumming in his chest and the tension in his stomach, looked in the direction of Luffys nod and locked eyes with the final member of the crew.

Golden hair flowed effortlessly, appearing flawless and utterly graceful, hiding one eye in it's elegant mist and leaving the other silvery orb reflecting the blue of the sky as he stared back at him. Even though his face was built with strong and prominent features, there was something inexplicably gentle about it. A narrow patch of darker hairs rested between the young mans lower lip and his chin, neatly trimmed in comparison to Usopps own chin-strip, which pretty much had a life of it's own at the moment.

A wavy brow flexed above the well-dressed guys eye and Usopp felt examined; he committed to another tentative smile-and-nod technique, but the blond didn't seem impressed. Sanji shot his eyes down to the boys baggy clothes before fixating his gaze back onto Usopps and started fumbling with something in his pocket. He pulled out a cigarette which was delicately placed between his lips, then lit with a big, shiny lighter, never breaking eye-contact with the increasingly self-conscious boy.

It wasn't really surprising to Usopp that this guy was, apparently, too conceited to even return the smile, but he still couldn't hold back a frown when the stranger just kept staring at him. Something about this persons eyes sent a shiver jolting down the boys spine; he could feel them piercing into his own with vigorous power, absorbing and calculating every breath he was taking.

"Usopp?" Choppers voice and gentle poke on his shoulder rushed him back to existence in an instant. He'd registered that chatting was going on around him, but he hadn't quite caught any of it.

"Oh, uhm," he cleared his throat and felt his cheeks turning red.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" the frazzled boy continued, determined to shake of this feeling and trying his hardest to not look back at the blond again.

"I was asking if you're new here?" Nami repeated her question with a million dollar smile.

The pain of the past was something Usopp could never escape, but he wasn't nearly ready to share this part of him, not even with Chopper, and especially not in his current state of mind.

"Yeah, I moved here a couple of months ago," he replied and tried not to think too much about the place he once called home.

"Where from?" Robin chimed in.

"Why did you move?" Luffy blurted out; he was now chewing gleefully on a candy-bar he'd probably plundered out of Choppers backpack, which was now on the ground beside the hungry interjector.

Usopp shifted his eyes towards the one in the black suit. The man was wearing a mustard-colored shirt under his buttoned jacket, with a matching chocolate-brown tie around his neck. Usually the boy, who was quite un-stylish himself, would find such an attire to be entirely too much and generally just hideous, but somehow it looked exquisite on Sanji.

A trembling knot formed in Usopps chest, when he wasn't able to catch the blonds eyes again and he was bewildered, to say the least, when he recognized that feeling as disappointment. Feeling a blush creeping onto his face, he hurriedly snapped his eyes back to Robin.

"From a tiny place called Syrup Village," he answered and picked at the grass in front of him.

"You probably don't know it," he added in a mumble, deliberately disregarding Luffys question and hoping no one would notice.

"Sounds yummy!" Luffy grinned cheerfully.

Apparently food was on this guys mind most of the time, which Usopp found both amusing and endearing; he hadn't expected it, but his defenses were slowly budging, gradually disintegrating, and one of those authentic, sincere smiles you can't really control took a hold of his lips.

"I've heard of if before," Robin spoke.

"You're a long way from home," she tilted her head in a concernedly manner, seemingly wanting to offer moral support.

The outcast swallowed the unexpected lump in his throat and smiled, shaking his head.

"Nah, this is home now," the words spilled out his mouth, effortlessly and filled with truth.

Usopp had only met these people a couple of minutes ago and the fact that he'd just said something of such emotional value, without even thinking about it, scared him and now he expected them all to laugh in his face and mock him for his squishyness. He could feel every muscle in his body tense up at his inner prediction, ready to verbally strike back or take cover somewhere safe.

But none of that happened. They all smiled and grinned his way; some nodded and Franky lifted another thumb up at him. Even Zoro was smirking, eyes still closed.

The boy caught a glimpse of Sanji, who was still huffing nonchalantly on a cigarette continuously not paying him any attention.

 

"Well, welcome to the group," Luffy laughed with open arms and before Usopp had time to come up with any sort of reply, he spoke again:

"Can we go get some food now?" a pained expression grew on the leaders face as he clutched a hand on his stomach and looked for pity amongst the group.

"We literally just ate, numbskull!" the redhead sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Let's just go back to my place and chill out until dinnertime. Sanji, are you still up for cooking tonight?" Nami looked to the well-dressed man with pleading eyes.

"Of course, my dearest Nami! Anything you wish," the blond mans deep, creamy voice made Usopps insides flutter and he completely lost his breath.

Everything about this guy was excruciatingly alluring and the curly-haired boy didn't know how to deal with the effects it was having on him; he especially didn't know what to do with the fact that Sanji, of course, had a girlfriend.

"Zoro, wake up! We're going to Namis now," Luffy smacked the green-haired strongman on the forehead again, this time much softer than before, followed by a couple of gentle pats on the cheeks.

A grunt and a squint of the eyes escaped the drowsy-looking man, before he stretched and sat up.

The rest of the group also started getting up from their spots on the lawn, so Usopp got up as well and readied himself to say goodbye and go back to his dorm-room. He dusted some grass clippings of his pants and when he looked back up, the squad was already strolling away. Instinctively he turned on the spot and walked in the opposite direction.

He should have known that he was pushing his luck with meeting these people, even with Chopper.

"Oi, Usopp," a familiar voice rang through the warm air of springtime.

"Where are you going?"

Usopp turned and saw Luffy studying him with a serious frown.

"We're going this way, silly!" Nami teased and waved him over.

For a second, maybe two, Usopp stood frozen to the ground. He'd never came across a situation like this in his entire life and the feeling of bliss that filled him was overwhelming.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly and walked towards the others.

"I didn't even notice!" Usopp lied unconvincingly.

At this moment the world suddenly seemed a lot less intimidating and as Usopp manually removed another brick from the invisible wall he'd so meticulously built around his heart, he had to remind himself to not get carried away too easily.

 

As he walked away with his new acquaintances, he felt an elbow to the side.

"I told you so," Chopper whispered with a genuine, but slightly triumphant, grin on his face.

Usopp grinned back and nodded. It was a happy feeling that filled him as they strolled and it was almost as if they'd always been cruising together like this, chatting and laughing. He wasn't quite ready to let completely go of his inner self-doubt, so he mostly listened and smiled, occasionally answering a question or throwing in a one-word sentence.

Right in front of him walked Sanji, tall and slender, yet strong and firm; the breeze gliding in from the ocean created soft waves in his blond locks and once in a while he would rake fingers through it, all the way to the back of his neck. With a heart that refused to quit its thundering in his chest, Usopp found himself completely incapable of removing his eyes from this stranger.

All in all, it had been a rather interesting day.


	2. Chapter 2

There wasn't a single cloud in the sky above and the sun was leisurely inching closer to the horizon, delicately brushing the crispy blue with a mixture of roses and fire on it's track towards setting. The breeze was peaceful, almost nonexistent, leaving the leaves on the trees and the flowers on the bushes completely still and serene. Untouched. Everything was quiet.

Except for the fact, that it wasn't quiet. Not at all.

A group of friends were unwinding by the pool, of a mansion overlooking the ocean, and their joyful laughs filled the calm eve in a positively charming way. Colorful drinks were being poured, beers were being opened and cheeks were turning red and warm.

  


It'd been a little more than a week since Usopp had been introduced to "the strawhat crew", as people around campus liked to call them, although it felt like much longer. Luffy had welcomed him to his squad without hesitation and just like that, the outcast was no longer alone. The change had been surreal at times, but with all the fun he was having with his new friends, he hadn't had much time to dwell on it.

They'd all spent the entire Saturday in town together; shopping, eating, soaking up the rays of the sun and the scent of the ocean and, thanks to Luffy, eating some more. Late in the afternoon they'd made their way back to Namis place.

On the day that Usopp first met the group, he'd also witnessed the extravagant estate, that was the home of the red-haired beauty, for the first time. Once the overwhelmed boy had gotten his bearings and was able to formulate a question, he'd learned that she'd inherited an insanely large sum of money from her diseased mother, who'd apparently made a fortune on her tangerine plantation. Usopp had felt a twitch in his stomach when she'd told him about her mothers passing, but he'd decided not to share his own tale. Not yet, at least.

Even after spending nearly every night for the past week at this stunning location, he still was blown away by the spectacular view every time he laid eyes upon it. It had to be the _second_ most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life.

  


Mixed feelings stirred when Usopp peeked at the curly-browed man for the 100th time that day; he was yet to have an actual conversation with the guy, even though they'd spent pretty much all their free time of the last week in close proximity of each other.

The baggy-clothed boy was convinced that Sanji found him and his scruffy appearance unseemly and he wouldn't be surprised if he just thought of him as straight up off-putting as well. He had no other ways to explain the restraint between them, which had been forged the very second they met.

Usopp would often catch Sanji staring at him, similar to the way he did when they first saw each other; with uncomfortable uneasiness painted across his face and a cigarette between anxious fingers. Most times, Sanji would get up and leave when the tanned boy detected his gaze, while mumbling curse-words under his breath.

That kind of behavior wasn't new to Usopp and he'd pretty much learned to tune it all out and not be bothered by small-mindedness, except for the fact that this person was truly the most breathtakingly, beautiful man he'd ever laid his eyes upon. He found it funny, tragicomic even, that this man was probably as straight as they come.

At least he'd learned, by coincidence, in a casual conversation with Chopper, that Nami and Sanji were _not_ an item, like he'd presumed on their first encounter, which meant that now Usopp could gawk at the handsome, tall stranger in secret, without feeling guilty.

  


A patch of pale skin was showing on the blond mans exposed ankle, as he sat reclined in a cushioned moon chair, resting the joint on his knee; Usopp allowed his eyes to linger at the sight for just a second longer, before pulling his attention back at the conversation taking place at the table he was seated at.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zoro grumbled with an expressionless front.

"It means that giving you the job of navigator, was a mistake," Luffy grinned and poked at the side of the man with a finger.

The muscular one made a low grunt in response, but he wasn't able to hide the obvious smile in his eyes.

Usopp giggled, hiding his mouth behind one hand; he'd learned that Zoro wasn't quite the brute he appeared to be, but out of sheer instinct he'd still try not to piss the guy off.

"Just leave it, Zoro," the one with a strawhat on his head waved his hand dismissively, a smirk growing on his lips.

"You might not be good a directions, but you're still really good at other stuff," he continued and shifted a bit in his chair.

Zoro lifted his gaze to meet Luffys and a glimmer of something resembling smugness rose over his face.

"Is that so?" the man answered, now fully smiling at the boy beside him.

Luffy slowly got up from his seat, smirk turned back into another grin, only this time way more thrilled than before.

"I think I'll go check out the guestroom now," he declared.

"Don't get lost on the way there," he added in a lower tone, directed at the green-haired strongman.

Usopp almost choked on a sip of beer, but managed to swallow it down without dragging too much attention to himself.

The smile on Zoros face turned devious as he got up and followed the boy into the house, leaving the cap-wearing boy alone at the table.

It wasn't a secret that the two of them were more than just friends, but they weren't really the pair to flaunt their love to the world. A hand on the thigh and the occasional flirty remark was pretty much it. Usopp guessed tonight was a bit different, with the factor of alcohol involved.

  


It'd been a while since the boy had had a drink, even longer since he'd been intoxicated like this; his face was warm, his legs where tingling and nothing really seemed wrong with the world. In this soothed state of mind, Usopp let out a sigh and leaned his head back to rest against the back of the chair, as he listened to the voices around him.

He could hear Franky and Chopper playing some sort of card-game, laughing and playfully arguing about who got the point. He could hear Nami and Robin chit-chatting about something he couldn't really make out. He could hear Brook jamming on his guitar, occasionally stopping for either a sip of beer or to join in on one of the conversations going on.

  


A thankful curl formed in the corner on his lips; Usopp was incapable to tell if it was just the beers lulling him into a sweet, innocent mindset, but at right at this moment, he was convinced that he'd found what he'd been looking for all his life. It would ache in his heart, almost to the point of breakage, when he thought about all the years he'd wasted by not being here.

In the strawhat crew, no one was alike and it would be futile to try and figure out exactly how all of these personalities had come together as one. Somehow they’d all found each other along the way; now, it seemed, they’d found Usopp as well and although he was just as different as the others in the diverse squad, he’d found a true sense of belonging with them.

His friends. A family.

Just as he realized that his drunken, over-emotional brain was getting the better of him, another thought popped up; he couldn't hear Sanji.

Usopp lifted his head and zoomed in on the spot where he'd last seen the man. The kick, slamming into his chest, as he instantly locked eyes with him from across the terrace, was all consuming. What in reality probably wasn’t more than a second, felt like hours, and even then it wasn’t nearly enough time to behold the gorgeousness emanating from this being.

Just as the spellbound boys heart was inches away from bursting, Sanji broke the connection between them; Usopp realized that he’d been holding his breath and took in a sharp mouthful of air. Heat was rising up through his body and into his face, undoubtedly turning his cheeks even more flushed than the alcohol already had. He watched the suited man get up from his seat and head straight for the glass-door to the kitchen, while mumbling angrily at the marble-tiles beneath his feet.

Disappointment infected the boys guts, causing throbbing jolts to gush out and overflow within. All he wanted was to talk to him. Just once, even a single word or the slightest sound from his lips. Anything, to break this silence between them and change the expanding turmoil of rejection whirling within. He wanted his laughs to be directed at him and the disgust in his eyes exchanged for softness, but all of that seemed impossibly far away.

Unless.

Usopp got up from his chair, feeling high on the sudden blast of adrenaline rushing through him; he swallowed down any hesitation and sign of anxiety as he went for the door Sanji had just disappeared through. He was reminded of how he’d felt back home, the only time he’d ever stood up to a bully. Bravery, he believed it was, only this time it was shrouded by floatiness and warmth.

  


The kitchen was spacious and polished. Everything was spotless, to the point where no one would’ve been able to tell that it’d been used to cook a magnificent feast only hours earlier.

Usopp remembered the glimpses he’d caught, peeking through the kitchens windows, of the tall blond, gliding effortlessly around the appliances, cutting vegetables and tasting various dishes with a peaceful expression resting on his face. The boy could tell that cooking was Sanjis burning passion and those of his creations he’d tasted so far told him that he was, indeed, a spectacular chef.

Now, Sanji wasn’t moving harmoniously around the kitchen anymore; he was stood at  the far off window, both hands resting on the windowsill, holding up his slightly slumped upper-body, while viewing the place over the ocean, where the sun had just vanished minutes before. His silhouette against the fluorescent backdrop was hauntingly graceful and Usopp had to swallow down once more before speaking.

“Why do you keep doing that?” the boy spoke, breaking the silence at last.

The man before him didn’t flinch, but he could there was a definite change in his body. A tension, arising from under the surface.

“What?” Sanji bit in an unnecessarily agitated tone, seemingly still focusing on the horizon in the distance.

A shiver of both excitement and exasperation washed over the now fist-clenching boy; although this wasn’t how he wanted their first conversation to go, he couldn’t help but to take a second to enjoy the sound of Sanjis voice, soaring through the acoustics of the kitchen.

“Stare at me, like I’m a piece of trash or something, and then get up and leave when I catch you?” he answered, not sounding nearly as cool and collected as he’d wanted to.

Something Usopp had never been good at, was confrontations; he’d grown accustomed to people treating him badly and he’d learned not to let it get to him, but this was infinitely different. This wasn’t something he could just ignore, although that was his preferred strategy.

The dark curls swayed a little, as the boy shifted uncomfortably.

“You annoy me,” Sanji stated in a monotone voice; the younger male noticed the others hands clutching the mahogany ledge.

It was unbearable to hear those words escape the figure in front of him and the excitement Usopp had felt before was rapidly disintegrating.

For a person, who thought of himself as incredibly open-minded, he was having the hardest time figuring out, what he’d done to annoy someone that much, without so much as a word. He could understand why people back home would harass and intimidate the weird-looking, nerdy outcast without any family and friends, but this was incomprehensible.

A sudden mix of anger and despair burned inside the stunned boy and an excruciatingly unpleasant lump was swelling in his throat.

Crying wasn’t an option right now; he had to push through.

“Then stop staring, moron,” Usopp rebutted sharply, visibly shaking from the infuriation and frustration this man was causing him.

Sanji immediately turned the upper half of his body to look back at him with colorless eyes and a face of utter most discomfort. The blond opened his mouth, about to say something back, but no words seemed to form on his lips.

After staring at each other in silence, for a couple of seconds too long, Usopp decided that he’d said what he wanted to say; he turned around on the spot and walked towards the door to the pool.

  


Unable to determine if he was relieved or disappointed that Sanji didn’t say anything to try and stop him, he felt the cooling air caress his damp skin as he stepped outside, adrenaline still storming within.

His chest rose as he took in a deep, cleansing breath. The scent of the ocean clung to the breeze and wrapped the shaky boy in ethereal tranquility.

It had been necessary for Usopp to learn how to calm himself down; focusing on the positive things around him, like nature or a beautiful piece of art, would do the trick most of the times.

If not, he would remember his mother.

Although the grief from losing her still lingered, even after all these years, the mental image of her smile and her silky hand, caressing his cheek, would always soothe and heal him. Devotedly treasured in his heart, the memories of her lived on with him.

  


As the curly-haired boy slowly gained back full control over his limbs and mind, he directed his eyes to his friends, who were all still chatting and laughing by the pool.

Franky was in the midst of telling a rather perverted joke. As he animatedly articulated and gestured, the others listened; Brook was laughing his melodic laugh and Chopper merely watched, wide-eyed and terrified by the graphic route of the anecdote. Nami, too, had a rather glum expression on her face, while Robin was trying to hide her smile and blushing cheeks behind a cocktail-holding hand.

Usopp didn’t even notice the curve that emerged on his lips and without thinking twice he went and joined them.

He couldn’t deny the fact that he was drawn to these people and, judging by the way they all greeted him and grinned, they felt the same about him. It definitely felt like home whenever he was with them, the former outcast realized as he got settled in right in time for another tale from the blue-haired giant.

  


Much calmer than only minutes before, Usopp was still struggling to forget the look on the tall chefs face, right before he left the kitchen; eyes, that would usually flicker splendidly in any type of lighting, were cold and the curve, on the lips that were able to create the most contagious of smiles, had perished. An apathetic expression, making it impossible to decipher whatever thoughts it was hiding.

Now that he’d confronted Sanji, he didn’t really feel any better about their relationship. Or himself, for that matter. It felt like he hadn’t done much else, but to farther the distance between them even more, which, of course, was the last thing he’d wanted to do.

Feelings he had never experienced before would arise whenever he looked at that man and no matter how hard he’d tried to ignore them, he would fail. Even now, when he knew that the one, who could make his heart gallop in the blink of an eye, saw him as nothing but an annoyance, it was completely futile to overlook the staggering flutters in his stomach.

Now _that_ was annoying.

  


Suddenly the glass-door swung open and Usopps eyes centered on the entry in a split second, hectic drumming already going of in his chest.

A tiny blade of disappointment dug at his stomach when Luffy and Zoro walked through the door, giggling softly at each other, apparently impervious to the world around them.

They walked right up and settled in with the rest of the group; the one with mossy hair sat down in the moon-chair Sanji had previously occupied and Luffy got comfortable on the ground, resting his back in between his lovers legs. It wasn’t long before Zoro was taking one of his many daily naps, but his hand never stopped nuzzling the skin on the strawhat bearers neck.

  


“So apparently you’re not allowed to skinny dip in the town squares fountain,” Franky roared with a comical grimace, ending the story he’d been telling with a punchline.

Luffy burst into his usual hearty laugh, holding his stomach and wiping away a tear of joy.

“Ahh, your drunken adventures are the best,” the leader clapped his thigh excitedly.

“I would’ve loved to see that,” Robins breezy voice chimed in, cheeks still pink and eyes intense and dark.

A humongous hand checked to see if the mohawk was still standing as the Hawaii-shirt wearing man shot the girl a smooth look.

“I bet you would, sugar,” he winked at her and took another sip from his bottle.

“Ahh, I’m starving,” Luffy complainingly changed the subject with outright agony in his tone.

As if called upon, Sanji walked through the kitchen-door with two trays filled with delicious looking treats; after a short battle, keeping the hungry boy from shoveling it all into his mouth at once, the trays were placed on a table for everyone to enjoy.

  


Wings flailed disruptively around Usopps stomach as he watched the tall blond intently. There was no apparent sign of displeasure or embarrassment on his face; he waited upon the girls as usual, grinned at Franky and Brook, who had joined the forces to make a song about a certain, drunken escapade, and yelled at Zoro for stealing his seat while he was gone. Everything seemed pretty normal.

But yet, the boy thought he saw something out of the ordinary in the spheres that were Sanjis eyes. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was; he couldn’t even be sure if it was there, since he was incapable of winning the mans attention to get a better look.

An inquiring flame danced within and it felt somewhat reassuring.

  


Much later, when sparkling dots filled the roof of the world, the evening had drifted over and shifted into night. A creamy trail passed along the crispy, clear sky and contrasted the deep blue of infinity behind it.

Now, they were all lounging and talking about everything and nothing at the same time; Nami had brought out some fluffy blankets and Brook had gotten a cozy fire started in a big, metallic bowl on the lawn. Sanji had swiftly created smores and some heavenly hot cocoa for everyone, much to Luffys satisfaction.

As Usopp lay, sprawled out on a pool-chair, and listened to a calm discussion between Zoro, Chopper and Brook, about whether or not they’d survive a zombie apocalypse, his thoughts started to wander again.

Since the confrontation with Sanji, the intense stares had come to a complete stop. The boy knew that this was his own doing and he didn’t exactly regret it, but the fact that he’d been unsuccessful at re-gaining eye-contact with the man ever since he walked out through that door, was upsetting and unnerving. With the effects of alcohol in his blood slowly wearing off, his thoughts turned clearer, but not any easier to deal with.

He turned his head to look at the suited man, who was laying on a white, wooden bench by some rose shrubs; observing the stars above with a restful look on his face and a cigarette placed gently between his lips, the man was stunning as ever.

A sharp sting pained the spectators heart. It was unmistakable and without a doubt the most inexplicable thing Usopp had ever experienced, but he knew for sure that he missed catching those silvery eyes on him once in a while.

Perhaps a chance for rectification would occur; hopefully soon.

  


It happened to no fault of his own; his eyelids slowly draped shut and only sounds was left in his tiny bubble. Another conversation. A giggle. The crackling of burning wood. The faint, yet distinct splash of waves against the shore.

And a big, shiny lighter, igniting another cigarette in the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I finished chapter 2 earlier than expected, which is good. :) Hopefully I'll be able to keep up a similar pace moving forward, but we'll see. *juggles a lot of stuff*
> 
> I hope you enjoyed and if you did, please come back for more! <3 ~


	3. Chapter 3 (Frankys Song) *bonus*

Frankys Song aka. Helicopterman

_Written by Brook and Franky_

_Vocals and guitar by Brook_

 

 

 

**[Verse 1]**

There once was a man

Mighty as a mountain

And this is the heroic, mythical tale

Of him and a fountain

 

**[Verse 2]**

After downing shots

At least thirty-seven

He stumbled across a glorious geyser

A soak would be heaven

 

**[Pre-chorus]**

He didn’t care, thanks to the booze

Dropped his pants to the floor

And let it all hang lose

 

**[Chorus]**

Aim for the stars

Fly Franky, fly

Do the helicopter

And soar through the sky

 

Come jump right in

Fast as you can

Look at him, he is the

Helicopterman

 

**[Verse 3]**

But then it went wrong

Law enforcements arrived

He ran nude and screaming though the streets, to not

Have his freedom deprived

 

**[Verse 4]**

A hectic chase

Flapping limbs and a butt

Luckily, after miles and miles on bare feet

Franky found a shortcut

 

**[Pre-chorus 2]**

Hiding away in some bushes

But soon after, back to

The fountain he rushes

 

**[Chorus]**

Aim for the stars

Fly Franky, fly

Do the helicopter

And soar through the sky

 

Come, jump right in

Fast as you can

Look at him, he is the

Helicopterman

 

**[Bridge]**

Whenever life gets tough and gets you down

Please, remember this tale and smile

How Franky ran naked through the entire town

Just to soak in the public fountain for a while

 

**[Guitar solo]**

 

**[Chorus]**

Aim for the stars

Fly Franky, fly

Do the helicopter

And soar through the sky

 

Come jump right in

Fast as you can

Look at him, he is the

Helicopterman

 

**[Outro]**

Look at him, he is the

Mighty Helicopterman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp. This is the song Franky and Brook wrote about Frankys drunken escapade in chapter 2.
> 
> It just kinda came to me in a dream (believe it or not) so of course I'm going to share this as well. :)
> 
> (Oh, and btw! If you don't know what it means to "do the helicopter", please... Google it on your own risk!)
> 
> Enjoy! ~


	4. Chapter 4

The sound of screaming seagulls woke him up and immediately the smell of morning-dew hit his nose. Usopps eyelids were heavy and a cramp was dominating his left thigh; apparently, sleeping on a pool-chair wasn’t the best of ideas.

The curly-haired boy, whose dark locks were extra frenzied after a night of restless sleep, pulled the warm blanket up to under his nose and closed his eyes for a moment longer. A slight ache throbbed inside his skull, accompanied by a nauseating sensation from his lower stomach. Luckily, he hadn’t gotten too drunk last night.

Then he remembered; he shot his eyes open and turned to look at the white bench, which was no longer occupied. A sinking feeling in his gut made the nausea intensify and spread to his throat as a thick, overflowing tar.

Usopp swallowed, before he slowly sat up. Damning the existence of alcohol to hell, he rested his face in his palms as he sat, elbows on his knees. In his entire life, he’d never done anything like what he’d done last night and now, in the soberness of daybreak, he really wished that he hadn’t.

 

The dazed boy took a look around him; Zoro and Luffy slept in each their moon-chair under a wooden, overgrown canopy, hands reaching down between them, fingers intertwined lazily. Brook was laying on the bare grass, halfway spooning his beloved guitar. And right next to himself was Chopper in another pool-chair, slowly waking up by the looks of it.

Nami was nowhere to be seen, same for Franky and Robin.

“Morning,” Chopper murmured and stretched his tiny frame.

“How are you feeling?” he added with squinty eyes and a hand gently massaging a temple.

“About as well as you, by the looks,” Usopp answered with a sore grin.

They both giggled carefully, as to not further disturb the throbbing discomfort inside.

Usopp peeked at the kitchen windows behind him. The glass was slightly fogged and the far-off sound of chit-chatting could be heard from within; Sanji was probably cooking up breakfast for everyone, which was a good sign.

Chopper had gotten up and was heading for the door.

“You coming?”

“Sure,” Usopp answered and followed his lead.

 

When they walked through the glass door, the conversation in the kitchen came to a halt. Nami turned her head and smiled when she saw the pair.

“Good-morning, you boozers,” she spoke gleefully.

“Having a headache?” the redhead hooted loudly at the two, making their faces crunch up into pain and annoyance.

The girl laughed cheerfully, before apologizing to the somber faces staring her down and Chopper leisurely slugged towards the bathroom, while mumbling something about aspirins and people being too loud.

“So, did you have a good nights sleep at least?” Nami beamed from her bar-stool, taking a sip of coffee.

“Not really,” Usopp took a seat opposite her at the kitchen-island and grabbed himself a cup.

He glanced at Sanjis back for a second, before pouring some steamy elixir of caffeine into yellow porcelain.

“Pretty much what you’d expect from a pool-chair,” the boy continued and shrugged.

An understanding smile appeared on Namis face as she nodded. There was a short pause, which for some reason felt excruciating.

“Smells good in here, Sanji,” the brown-eyed girl spoke, almost hastily, as if she was trying to get a conversation going.

“What are we having?” she asked.

Sanji turned to face her, curve on his lips and affection in his eyes; the flutters, which were pretty much natives in Usopps stomach by now, ran amok as he observed every detail of the blond mans face.

“Eggs Benedict, yogurt parfait and my special blueberry pancakes,” he kindly explained.

Not only did all of those dishes sound amazingly mouthwatering, but the way the words spilled over Sanjis lips, softer than syrup and butter on a hot stack, was enough to send chills down Usopps spine.

“And of course the obligatory mountain of meats for Luffy,” was casually added to the list, before the cook returned his attention to the pots and pans on the massive stove.

“Sounds yummy! Right, Usopp?” Nami said, catching the boy a bit off guard.

He wasn’t sure why, but there was a definite tension in the room.

“Oh! Uhm, yeah, sure does,” he stumbled over his words and buried his face in the cup between his hands.

Nami looked from him, to Sanji and then back again; she was trying to hide the worry in her eyes, but the perceptive boy could tell something was on her mind.

Maybe she’d noticed that he and Sanji were not speaking, which wouldn’t be weird at all, since it was pretty obvious.

Or maybe, Sanji had told her about what happened last night.

Suddenly, Usopp felt uneasy. It felt like, not only was his relationship with the handsome cook hanging by a thread, but perhaps his newly found place in the group was also at stake. After all, Sanji had been there the longest, so if there was to be a fall out between them, Usopp knew he’d be the one to go, for certain.

Had he completely messed up?

 

His terrifying train of thought was interrupted by the glass-door getting kicked in.

“When’s breakfast ready?” Luffy cried urgently and made his hungry-dance towards the wonderful smells emanating from where Sanji was working.

A hand was placed calmly, palm covering most of the straw-hat bearers face, successfully holding him at an arms length distance from the food.

“Don’t even think about it,” it sounded grumpily from the suited man, whose focus didn’t shift from the stove for a second.

“Bot O’m honry, Sonjeh!” Luffy complained insistingly from behind Sanjis hand and tried his best to grab a piece of fried bacon.

After receiving a firm, but gentle, kick to his butt, the boy walked away, defeated, while groaning curses at his empty stomach.

 

Usopp observed the strict cooks face attentively; even-though the man hadn’t looked his way, not in the slightest, since last night, he _did_ seem to be his usual self, which was a good sign.

Right?

 

* * *

 

 

Monday arrived the following day, bringing with it classes and studying; the course of the weekend was stuck in Usopps mind, pretty much hindering him from doing anything productive. His mind kept wandering off and falling over the edge and it was a struggle each time to hoist it back up again.

Fortunately, the computer-savvy boy was already pretty knowledgeable on the subject of graphic design and programming, which meant that his inner battles didn’t affect him _that_ much.

 

As always, once the school-day was over, the group met up at their usual spot on the lawn, under the open sky and the shimmering sun.

Usopp tried his best to ignore the pessimistic feeling in his stomach, weighing him down, as he listened to Nami, talking about an upcoming horror movie she wanted them all to go see together. Luffy barged in and started raving about movie-theater popcorn with stars in his eyes and a bit of drool in the corner of his mouth.

The tan boy chuckled at their leader and Nami telling him to stop yammering about food all the time.

 

Without realizing it, Usopps eyes were drawn to those of Sanjis again when he heard him laugh. That laugh was addicting, to say the least, and he would have no trouble enjoying the sound for hours on end.

It was getting harder and harder for him not to gaze at the tall blond at every chance he got, which was possibly the most frustrating thing he’d ever experienced. His heart kept communicating through thunderous Morse code, telling him that no matter what happened, he needed to hold on to this extraordinary human being.

But what do you do, when the subject of your most affectionate feelings, ignores you completely?

Do you wait or simply move on?

All of a sudden, the blond mans smile vanished and he unexpectedly turned his face in a sharp motion to stare back at Usopp:

“Stop staring at me!”

Everyone went quiet and the startled boy could feel their eyes, shifting back and forth between the two of them, but it wasn’t _their_ eyes he was worried about. An unbearably cold shiver traveled through his body as they stared at each other; silvery eyes had turned the same shade of unemotional ice, as they’d had on the night of their confrontation.

The words had sounded furious, almost malicious, and had left Usopp speechless while his brain was rushing to come up with something to respond. Anything, really.

Panic started spreading within, hectic quakes assaulting his core.

Usopp _knew_ just how much of a hypocrite he was. What gave him the right, to tell Sanji to stop staring and then do nothing but stare at _him_? The difference, of course, being that the man glaring at him right now, seemingly hated his guts and the boy certainly didn’t reciprocate such feelings.

He wanted to just come clean and explain himself, but he wasn’t nearly brave enough for that.

Finally, Sanji turned his face and looked away, letting out a shaky breath.

“Moron,” he said in a mumble and took out a cigarette with trembling hands.

The others were still staring wildly, in complete silence. Tension clung to the air, dense and sickening, and Usopp was still utterly incapable of processing what had just happened.

All he knew, was that something was putting pressure on his eyes and his throat, pulsating pains blurring his vision and obscuring his common sense; if he didn’t leave at once, he was going to break out in tears in front of everyone, which was not something he was willing to do.

Usopp got up from his spot on the grass, turned around and left. He hoped his new friends wouldn’t misinterpret his hasty take-off and he definitely did not care what Sanji thought. If he thought anything, at all.

 

As he walked away, he heard the distinct sound of a hand being smacked into the back of a head, followed by Namis scolding voice and the complaining moans of Sanji.

The tiniest of smiles erupted on Usopps lips, but it quickly crumbled away; knowing that Nami had his back meant everything to him at this moment, but unfortunately that wasn’t enough to keep salty beads from dribbling down his face as he turned the corner and headed for his dorm-room.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Usopp lay lifeless on his bed; he’d thrown himself onto the mattress as soon as he’d closed the door behind him and he hadn’t moved since. One arm was dangling precariously over the side and one half of his face was pressed into the galaxy bed sheet.

He’d given up on trying to make sense of anything. Of Sanji and his life in general. Not sure how much time had passed, laying like this, Usopp had started feeling numb. Both physically and mentally.

 

A sudden knock startled him and he hurriedly sat up to stare at the handle of the white door. Uncertain if he’d locked it, he sat frozen for a second, thinking through the possibilities.

Had Sanji come to tell him off again? Or was it Luffy, telling him that it would be for the best if they didn’t hung out anymore? Neither would surprise him.

“It’s me, Usopp,” Namis voice sounded from the other side.

“Can I come in, please?”

The boy raked a hand over his impenetrable curls, in an attempt at putting some rogue locks at place, and got up to open the door.

“Hi,” he said sheepishly, avoiding to look her in the eyes.

She stepped over the threshold of the doorstep and wrapped her arms tightly around Usopp without a word.

At first, he was thoroughly paralyzed, but as he slowly regained consciousness, he reached up to hug her back; the only other person to have ever hugged him like this, was his mother and it was as soothing as it was heartbreaking.

Quiet sobs started pouring out from Usopp. The whole thought, of him showing such emotions to someone he barely knew, was enough to make him cry even more.

It was terrifying, yet relieving.

“Don’t mind that asshole,” Nami said gently and patted his back a couple of times before they broke apart.

“He shouldn’t have treated you like that,”

Not knowing how to respond, Usopp wiped away the tears with the soft of his fingers and shrugged.

The red-haired girl had the same worrisome expression painted on her face, as she’d had the morning before in her kitchen. She walked past him to take a seat on his bed and after closing the door behind her, he went and sat down opposite her in his desk-chair.

 

“You’re gay, right?” the question was blunt and out of any sensible context, but there wasn’t the slightest hint of negativity in Namis voice.

Usopp frowned, then smiled carefully:

“Y-yeah, I am,” he answered truthfully.

“Is it _that_ obvious?” was added, jokingly, making the girl grin and wave a hand dismissively.

“Well, no… I mean, it’s just,” she was clearly trying to find the right words as she observed the frazzled boy attentively.

“Sanji recently came out to us as bi,”

Usopp frowned; the guy, who would frequently comment on beautiful girls walking past and constantly go out of his way to make Nami and Robin feel like goddesses, liked guys as well?

“I know, we were pretty surprised too,” she added with a smirk, as reply to his astonishment.

“Yeah, I would’ve never guessed,” Usopp dug at his neck and stared the floor between them.

This was quite the revelation, but it still didn’t explain the way Sanji had been acting. This, if possible, almost made the entire thing seem even more strange.

His eyes shot up to meet the coppery ones again:

“Wait? What does that have to do with me being gay?” Usopp asked, genuinely curious.

“Don’t think that Sanji’s the only one to notice how you’ve been staring at him,” Nami answered and winked mischievously.

Heat rose through the boys stomach, up his chest and spread out onto his face; he could feel his cheeks turning pink from embarrassment and he mostly wanted to hide away.

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna tell anyone,” she added with a reassuring smile.

“I just really wanted you to know that,”

A pause, then an exhale. The girl reached out and put a hand on Usopps knee.

“...to know that you’re already part of this group, of our family, and nothing will ever change that,”

Usopp stared at her in disbelieve; this girl might seem oblivious, but she had proven to be a very dependable person, possessing great empathy and insight.

The look in her eyes told him, that she was serious about the matter and that she needed him to understand the importance of her words.

He nodded and a broken smile appeared on his lips; if he were to speak at that moment, he was certain that his voice would crack.

The fear of losing his new friends of the straw-hat crew was dulled and a huge load was taken off his chest, allowing him to breath with ease again; he was still immensely confused though.

“I need you, to be patient with Sanji,” Nami spoke, seeming a tad annoyed at the blond cook.

“Him, being bi, is kinda life-changing for him and he’s been dealing with a lot of,”

She paused again, searching her brain for the right word.

“...stuff, you know?”

Usopp nodded earnestly; the struggle of discovering his own sexuality had been a long, difficult journey, even though he’d always been pretty all right with being gay, so he could only imagine how it had to be like for someone like Sanji.

A sudden thought popped out from all of the others, bouncing around inside his head.

“Wait, what exactly does that have to do with _me_ being gay?” the frown was back on Usopps brows as he watched Nami with inquiring eyes.

Another smirk took a hold of the girls lips as she stood from the bed:

“Don’t think I didn’t notice that Sanji was the one to stare at you in the first place,”

She bend down and gave the boy a quick hug before walking towards the door again; when she reached it, she turned around to look at a befuddled Usopp.

His efforts at grabbing a thought, from the cluster of his mind, and convert it into a coherent sentence, were futile. The recognizable fluttering mixed with the soreness that the misery had left in his gut; it was almost to much emotion for an ex-outcast to handle in just one day.

“Oh, uhm,” Usopp stumbled as his eyes flickered.

“I really don’t think he likes me, actually it seems like he hates me… A lot!” words disgorged from his mouth, staggering and anxious.

Nami grinned at his flustered-ness and opened the door to the hallway.

“I was never here,” she said, with a dash of seriousness to the tone, as she turned and walked back over the doorstep.

“See ya,” her cheerful voice sounded, right before the door closed, leaving Usopp alone in his room again.

 

Usopp didn’t move from his seat for a while; although he wasn’t moving a muscle as he watched the trees though the bedside-window, it felt like he was going 100 mph.

Could the reason for his problems regarding Sanji really be as simple as that?

Plenty of luck in games, zero luck in love. Those was the cards the boy were dealt at birth and anything else than that was unfathomable to him. Not realistic in any way, shape or form.

There was no chance that he was going to allow himself to believe such nonsense.

Pure, outright nonsense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this new chapter! ~ (I hope it's not too messily written? I often feel like my writing can seem kinda chaotic and sloppy and I would actually appreciate it, A LOT, if someone would confirm/disconfirm my worries!)
> 
> I'm really excited to get started on the next chapter, which will be kinda special! :3
> 
> Thanks for reading, leaving kudos' and comments! It really makes my day <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is chapter 1 again, but from Sanjis POV.
> 
> Check the end for more notes.

Reclined, on a stone-bench under a palm-tree, sat a man, enjoying the calm air and a cigarette. With an ankle resting on top of the opposite knee, he could comfortably observe the unfamiliar faces walking by. He absorbed the delightful hotness dozing on his skin, generating from wearing dark clothes under the rays of the sun.

  


Sanji was waiting, outside the culinary arts class, for his friends to come pick him up; they were students at Grand Line University as well and although they’d all been brought together by chance, they were like family. A diverse, yet completely devoted family.

Reflexively, the man raked a hand through his silky, golden hair, as a nicely curved young woman walked into his view. He would’ve shot a smooth look and a wink her way too, if she’d looked in his direction, but she didn’t.

Seconds later, a male walked by; chestnut hair and blue eyes, strong, inviting arms and a well-shaped butt. Sanji felt a flush in his cheeks and his heart drummed harder in his chest. He looked away and took a deep puff from his cigarette.

  


Although Sanji had come to terms with the fact that he was attracted to both females and males, so much so that he’d stumbled clumsily out of the closet to his friends, he still had a hard time letting go of his own self-judgment.

Growing up where he did, surrounded by very straight men, he’d learned a lot about how to treat and respect women, but nothing about how to approach guys, which basically had led him to believe that the feelings he had towards the same sex were invalid.

And now, years later, it had left him feeling scarred and unequipped.

  


The love-cook, as his friends tended to call him, had another secret; what on the outside seemed to be a notorious, experienced player in the field of arbitrary flirting, was in reality nothing but a hopeless romantic, desperately searching to find _someone_.

So as he sat, watching the other students walking by, with a mix of hope and insecurity roaming inside, he waited.

Cigarette between lips. Unfocused eyes, lost in thought.

  


“There he is,” a well-known voice rang.

“Oi, Sanji!”

The suited man on the bench ripped himself away from his discouraging thoughts and looked towards the sound, towards Luffy and the rest of the group.

An immediate, genuine grin struck his face; his family, the people he knew he could always count on, always seemed to cheer him up without them even trying. They just had to be near, then nothing else mattered.

“Luffy, hi!” Sanji greeted back and got up from his seat.

“Going to the usual spot?” he asked, as he joined the group.

Luffy nodded with a giggle, from under his straw-hat, and didn’t hesitate to ask what Sanji was planning cooking for dinner.

“Not sure yet,” the man replied carefully as they walked.

Creating beautiful plates of food, experimenting with tastes and textures, was something the blond would never grow tired of. It was his passion, his call in life, to feed the hungry and to do so in style.

“Any wishes from the ladies?” Sanji added, directed at Nami and Robin who were walking together in front.

“Oi oi, Sanji! Why don’t you ever ask me?” Luffy complained, throwing his arms in the air with a frustrated expression.

The man reached out and smacked the boy in the back of the head.

“Because you only ever want meat!” he growled and threatened the boy with another smack, before turning his attention back to the girls.

  


At first, Sanji had been blown away by the beauty of the redheaded young woman and later, when Robin joined the group, he’d been mesmerized by her as well. Of course he still found them both incredibly stunning, but as time had passed and he’d realized he had zero chance with either of them, he’d come to love them just as he loved the rest of the group; as family.

Of course, he carried on treating the girls like he always had, like the princesses he thought they were.

“Surprise us,” Nami said.

“Your food is amazing no matter what,” she added with a flick of her tangerine hair, before returning her focus to Robin, who’d silently agreed to the statement.

  


As they all sat down, on the sweetly scented lawn in the middle of campus, Sanjis was still trying to figure out what to serve for dinner that night. There was this recipe for mushroom risotto he’d been planning to try out, adding his own twist to it, of course.

The cook looked to the sky above, then at the people surrounding him.

Brook had gotten his guitar out and a familiar tune was establishing a carefree atmosphere around them. The girls were talking amongst themselves, while simultaneously looking through various books and magazines. Franky and Luffy were discussing an old movie about a cyborg from outer space, which was apparently _“super awesome”_ , all the while Zoro was already napping, head resting securely in Luffys lap.

Sanji observed the pair for a second longer, noticed how the younger one would casually let his finger run through the mossy hair or shortly caress the others chest. As much as the blond couldn’t stand Zoro and his barbaric, cave-mannish ways, he was incredibly happy for them.

Sometimes, perhaps a tiny sting of envy would jab at his guts.

Sometimes, he would wonder how it would be like, to _be_ with another man. To be with _anyone_ , really.

  


All of a sudden, the blond man, who was usually quite alert to the things around him, realized that someone was missing.

“Where’s Chopper?” he asked, directed at nobody in particular, while looking around at the group once more, counting them all a second time.

“I believe he’s with that new friend of his,” Robin answered calmly, not even looking up from her history-book.

Chopper had revealed few things about his friend; he was into computer-games, he was skilled at drawing and his name was Usopp.

“Hey, isn’t that him, sitting in the shade? Right over there,” Franky looked through his sunglasses and pointed, towards the massive oak in the middle of the university park.

“Oi, Chopper!” Luffy bellowed towards the figure.

Sanji, who wasn’t surprised by his blunt friends rashness, merely shook his head and blew a huff of air through his nose, before turning to look as well.

Indeed, there sat their tiny, fuzzy-haired friend, apparently studying with a boy, who he assumed to be Usopp. He couldn’t really tell much about his appearance; apart from some wild, dark curls cascading down from under his cap and a nose that stuck out a bit more than other noses, the boy was well hidden by the shadows.

“Luffy, hi!” the med student chirped and waved happily.

“Who’s your friend?” their leader yelled with an unrestrained grin.

“Chopper’s told you about him already,” Nami sighed impatiently, looking up from her women's magazine to take a gander at the two under the tree as well.

Under the oak, Chopper had gotten up from his seat and after helping the other on his feet, they both moved to join the group under the sun.

“Usopp, remember?” Zoros voice sounded drowsily.

Luffy looked at the head in his lap with a confused expression written on his face, which quickly turned back into it’s usual cheerful state.

“Of course I do, I just really wanna meet the guy,”

“Sure you do,” Sanji said with an obvious sarcastic tone.

“You just wanna ask him if he’s got any food you can steal,” he added and side-gawked at the excited boy.

“Don’t you dare, Luffy,” the red-haired girl removed her eyes from the magazine to shoot a deathly glare.

  


When Chopper and Usopp reached them, Sanji looked up to get a better look at this boy. He couldn’t quite figure out why he was so pleasantly surprised by what he saw, which annoyed him. A lot.

What he saw, was a pretty uncomfortable looking guy; arms straight down his sides, pressing into the worn-out, baggy clothes he was wearing. Dark, curly hair, wild and untamed, fiercely trying to escape the tie that bound it. Tan skin, sticking out from under the over-sized fabrics, licking his arms and neck with the most alluring color he’d ever seen.

And his eyes.

Sanji squinted at them, trying to figure them out, but he couldn’t.

Annoying.

  


“Usopp, this is...everyone! Everyone, meet Usopp,” Chopper introduced.

Unable to avert his stare, the suited man kept gazing at the strangers eyes; his stomach cramped in a distressing manner and the agonizing drumming within the cage of his chest seemed everlasting.

Chopper and his friend sat down besides them, after being invited by Luffy, and Sanji couldn’t help but to feel that his privacy and contentment was being intruded by this new presence. He quickly shook off some negative thoughts against the naive, overly welcoming straw-hat bearer, remembering that if it wasn’t for Luffy, he, himself, wouldn’t be sitting here right now.

Sanji knew he needed to be more trusting of their leaders instincts, but something about Usopp was very alerting.

  


Everyone started greeting and introducing themselves to the outsider, but only after Luffy had received a smack to his back-head for instantly begging for snacks.

The uneasiness of the curly-haired boy was undeniable. Sanji watched his every move; every clench of his hands, every anxious breath, every restless shift of the eyes.

Those eyes.

  


“And that one, over there, is Sanji,”

The blond cook heard the mention of his name and was dragged out of a deeply contemplative inner monologue, but the words were somehow distant and alien to him.

Out of this world, almost ethereal.

When Usopps eyes finally locked onto his, he felt lightheaded and weak. It was an indescribable feeling, something the man had never experienced before and it disturbed him to his core.

Eyes as dark as the night, yet as kind and familiar as the comfort of a loved ones embrace.

It felt like those chocolaty orbs held great secrets within, troublesome mysteries and, potentially, threatening.

Sanji didn’t feel convinced either, when the boy nodded in a nervous greeting and smiled at him; an incredibly nauseating flutter made its way through his guts and his chest was sure to burst from the pulsating throbs of his overworking heart.

This didn’t feel good.

The blond shot his eyes down the boys body. Big, scruffy clothes that seemed entirely too big, did a good job at hiding the frame within, but from where Sanji was sitting, the tan one standing awkwardly before him didn’t seem like a threat.

When he looked back up again, Usopp was still staring him right in the eyes. The force of it was still unbearable, despite the inexplicability of it all.

Pressure.

Sanji needed something. He wanted it so bad he could _die_.

Just a little taste.

  


The love-cook mentally shook his head as he remembered what he needed; a cigarette.

With a shaky hand he caught one from the pack in his pocket and as he unthinkingly brought it to his lips, he kept his eyes on the brown ones.

Perplexing, yet gentle.

Annoying.

A flick of his lighter lit the cigarette in his mouth, but before he could breath in the warm, calming smoke and blow it out again, Usopp had turned his attention elsewhere.

Sanji observed how the boys lips moved as he spoke for a while, before redirecting his eyes in another direction to focus at something unimportant.

Another puff of smoke went down his lungs and out again, the nicotine soothing his frantic state.

The boy seemed innocent enough, but Sanji had always been able to trust his own gut feeling about other people. When he’d first met the others of the straw-hat crew, nothing but joy and excitement had filled him; even at his first encounter with Zoro, who he’d have daily fall-outs with, he hadn’t felt alarmed or distressed, like now.

It seemed like Sanji was the only one to be on the fence about the stranger and he wasn’t really surprised when he heard Luffy welcoming him to their group.

He wanted to speak up, but determined to not undermine the instinctive decision of their leader, he went along with it as he swallowed down a lump of heat and tension.

  


“Can we go get some food now?” Luffy cried out as his stomach growled, demanding substance.

“We literally just ate, numbskull!” Nami said and sighed defeatedly.

“Let’s just go back to my place and chill out until dinnertime. Sanji, are you still up for cooking tonight?”

Sanji turned to look back at the red-haired beauty; she discreetly sent him an inquisitive look, apparently having noticed the shift in the mans mood already.

He took in a deep breath and tried smiling reassuringly:

“Of course, my dearest Nami,” the man managed to speak calmly.

“Anything you wish!”

  


Seconds later, they’d all gotten up from the grass and started heading for Namis house.

From the corner of his eye, Sanji saw Usopp turning on the spot and leaving in the opposite direction; as much as this boy made him feel like shit, he, for some completely unfathomable reason, did _not_ want him to leave.

Without even thinking, he poked their leader in the side with an elbow.

“Auch! What?” Luffy rubbed his sides and glared sharply at the suited man by his side.

Sanji looked behind them, ignoring the wiggling flickers emerging in his stomach once more, and nodded towards Usopp. It didn’t take more than a millisecond for Luffy to react:

“Oi, Usopp! Where are you going?”

To Sanjis relief, the curly-haired boy stopped in his track and turned around; the cook took a second to behold his eyes and the rather puzzled look radiating from them.

How annoying.

“We’re going this way, silly,” Namis sweet voice sounded.

Usopp wavered for a moment, Sanji could tell.

“Sorry, I didn’t even notice,” he spoke, obviously flustered, and walked up to the group.

  


As they all walked off school grounds, chatting and laughing like usual, Sanji was still trying to make sense of the mess in his head.

A squeaze on his overarm brought him back to the surface and he turned his face to see Nami, smirking at him.

“That was awfully nice of you, Sanji,” she said in a soft voice.

“Uhm, huh?” he stumbled hard and clumsily over his own words, with the fluttering sensation right back at square one. It wasn’t like him to be this inarticulate.

“I saw how you made sure Usopp didn’t just walk off,” she added, almost in a whisper.

Sanji realized he was holding his breath. Most of all, he wanted to defend his actions, but not even knowing the true meaning behind them himself, forced him to remain silent.

It felt like he’d been thrown into a chaotic disarray of contradictory emotions. It was highly ill-timed, incredibly unsettling and most of all, aggravatingly annoying.

He settled for a fake smile and a shrug, unable to put anything into words at this moment; he could tell that Nami, of course, didn’t believe it for a second.

  


For the rest of the walk, Sanji felt like he was being watched from behind, possibly by deep, dark-brown eyes under a worn-out cap.

He reached for the pack in his pocket, only to realize that it was empty.

How _fucking_ annoying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took a little while longer to get ready! I had sooo much fun writing this though ;D <3
> 
> The next update is going to be a bonus chapter, also from Sanjis POV, from 3 other points of the story.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading! ~


	6. Chapter 6 (When I Look At You) *bonus*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, sooo... It's been a while, but here it is! This was supposed to be a short bonus chapter, but turned into a whole other thing, probably the longest chapter yet. *whoops*
> 
> It's more parts from previous chapters, but from Sanjis view.

_1. The Confrontation_

The last week or so had been hell; Sanji had been trying to mask how insanely uncomfortable he really was, hopefully successfully, but on the inside he was a big mess.

His own thoughts, which he was usually in control of, were running wild constantly. Even during night-time, the dreams that took over his mind would be overpowering, almost exhausting. Before meeting Usopp, he rarely dreamt at night. Now, it seemed like that was all he ever did.

Walking around, in this jumble of day-dreaming and nightly horrors, made it close to impossible to fully enjoy anything anymore. The colors, created by the setting sun, didn’t dance like they used to. The sound of the waves had lost their mystery. The sensation of smoking a cigarette was dulled.

Even food didn’t taste as rich as before, but he at least continued to find great comfort in cooking.

 

Sanji had made another, rather disturbing, discovery; when the chance to steal a glimpse of the curly-haired boy occurred, he would grab it and cling to it as if his life depended on it. He never intended for _anyone_ to catch him staring, but when he looked at those eyes, everything seemed a little better, for a little while at least.

It appeared like all logic had simply vanished from his life.

 

As he sat in a moon-chair by Namis pool, after having spent the entire day with his friends, his eyes sought out those big, brown ones once more. The man was drained from trying to control and mask his feelings and it seemed like his will-power to fight it was slipping away.

The flutters never stopped completely, but when he was allowed to peek at Usopp, his whole body would tense down and all of his unruly thoughts would come together as one.

He observed how Usopps neck arched, exposing his Adams apple, as he leaned his head back to rest against the back of his chair.

It was beautiful. Like molten chocolate being poured, dripping down and draping a velvety piece of caramel.

Sanji felt like a complete creep, watching him like that from the shadows of the overgrown canopy, but at that moment, he simply didn’t give a damn.

Nothing really made sense anymore anyways, right?

A tiny smile, forming in the corner of Usopps lips, made his heart stop. It suddenly felt like there wasn’t enough room within him, to contain the energy that surged through him. Even if he tried reminding himself to breath, he couldn’t.

Everything was still. Quiet.

But not for long.

 

It happened way too fast and, to the embarrassment of Sanji, not for the first time that day; Usopp, somehow, detected his gaze and locked his eyes onto the unsuspecting man.

The sinking feeling inside his entire torso threatened to knock him over and the love-cook wanted nothing, but to bury himself or to just cease existing.

To be caught gawking like that, _again_ , felt shameful, especially for a collected and rational man as Sanji.

It took a lot of strength to break free from the sorcery, binding him in time and place, but with a final exertion he managed to look away.

The crushing force of reality hit hard; he could still feel Usopps eyes on him and the last thing he wanted was to explain himself, although the boy probably deserved some sort of clarification at this point.

He had to get away, just for a couple of minutes, to collect his thoughts and get his hurting heart contained. It felt like his legs wouldn’t be able to carry him as he stood up, but as he managed to walk towards the kitchen-door, shaky and breathless, he muttered at the ground beneath his feet:

“Fucking hell! Get a grip,”

 

When he was finally stood at the kitchen window, taking in the view of the ocean and the sky, he tried talking himself down some more:

“What the fuck is wrong with me? Why do I even wanna look at that stupid long-nose? It’s not like he’s a threat to me or anyone in the group,” he mumbled, trying to make some sense of anything.

“So why do I feel like I gotta keep an eye on him?”

Sanji raked a hand through his hair and dug at his neck for a second.

“So fucking stupid,” he whispered.

The sudden sorrow in his heart was unmistakable, but not any less bewildering.

 

A sound made a chill run rapidly down his spine, leaving prickling dots all over his body; the glass-door opened. Sanji wasn’t ready to face anyone yet, and especially not the worst case scenario…

Foot steps.

Silence.

“Why do you keep doing that?”

Of course, it had to be _him_ , didn’t it?

“What?”

The word snapped from Sanjis mouth, sounding more aggravated than planned, but he didn’t care much. All he really wanted, was for Usopp to go away and leave him to his complicated misery.

“Stare at me, like I’m a piece of trash or something, and then get up and leave when I catch you?”

It was a fragile question, every utterance sounding like the boy asking was only seconds away from breaking.

Something about it awoke a fiery feeling of protectiveness in Sanjis heart, but the cautiousness of his weary mind took over again and the realization that he would have to come up with some sort of explanation, at this very moment, was terrifying.

“You annoy me,”

As the words escaped, the man knew they weren’t fair, but he felt cornered and completely unable to formulate his emotions in any other way.

Still not facing Usopp, he didn’t know what kind of reaction to expect, but he was hoping that it would just make the boy flee from the scene.

He didn’t, though.

“Then stop staring, moron,” it sounded angrily from the boy behind him.

Sanji spun his torso around, one hand planted on the window-sill to keep him somewhat grounded, and looked at the curly-haired boy; he seemed wildly frustrated, almost enraged, shaking hands clenched into fists.

It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, seeing Usopp like this, and suddenly he realized that he, for whatever reason, felt immensely bad about this whole situation. Not only because of how exhausting it had been, having this stunning, tanned stranger walk into his life and force all sorts of bittersweet feelings upon him, but also knowing that he was the cause of the boys current state.

Why did he care about this nuisance and his petty feelings?

As he felt his lips involuntarily part to say something, which his brain tried its best to convince him wasn’t going to be an apology, he closed them shot again.

He didn’t owe this one anything.

But those _eyes._

Before the man was able to fall victim to their otherworldly, umber aura again, Usopp turned on the spot and walked right out the door.

Finally, left alone with his thoughts. Just like he'd wanted it in the first place.

Except, now he felt haunted by what had just happened and, sadly, Sanji had to admit that he still wasn’t wise enough to figure out what kind of spell this boy had him under.

 

* * *

 

_2. The Bench_

The painted wood felt cool against his back, as Sanji lay on a bench in the garden; he listened to the conversations between the others, who were scattered around on various furniture as well, and observed the stars in the dark of night, dotting the endless sky.

But mostly, he thought.

He thought of what had transpired earlier that evening, between Usopp and himself. Determined to figure out, why he’d been feeling the way he had, he searched through the deepest, most hidden parts of his mind and heart.

Sanji didn’t really like being sensitive and vulnerable like this, not even in the privacy of his own thoughts; he’d always been taught to push most feelings away and therefor always aimed to be the stoic gentleman he thought he was supposed to be.

But this boy had shaken up everything, down to his very core, and the man needed clarification.

 

After rummaging through a lifetime of memories and unresolved issues, for what felt like hours, something finally clicked.

Eyes, gray and misty, shot up and stared directly into the universe above. Sanji took another puff from the cigarette between his fingers, contemplating with a frown on his curly brows.

Carefully, he turned his head to look at Usopp; it was the first time, since their confrontation, that he’d dared to look his way. The boy, who was covered by a big, soft blanket, had closed his eyes and seemed to have dozed off. The peacefulness that emitted from the stranger put a smile on Sanjis face and suddenly it felt like he had to grab onto something, as not to float away into outer space.

What had seemed so extremely complicated and impossible, had just turned unexpectedly clear and viable. Still, it wasn’t any less frightening and definitely not any easier.

But then again, was such a thing ever supposed to be easy?

 

* * *

 

 _3._ _The Morning After_

When sleep had been avoiding him all through the night and the sun slowly started spilling light onto the sky, from below the horizon, Sanji decided that enough was enough and got up from the, rather uncomfortable, makeshift bed.

His mind, surprisingly, wasn’t tired, but his eyes were dry and itchy; he needed coffee.

Before walking towards the kitchen, he stopped and stared at a fluffy pile of blanket, dark curls sticking out at the top. His heart fluttered at the sight, but he wouldn’t allow himself to smile; although he’d spend all night thinking about Usopp and the true reason behind his feelings towards him, he knew that that person, most likely, did not like him in the slightest.

_Then stop staring, moron!_

That’s what he’d said, while glaring angrily into his eyes.

Sanji shook his head and quickly went on his way, not looking back.

 

After inhaling a scolding cup of coffee, the cook had decided to start breakfast. Being up so early, meant that he had time to cook up something extra delicious and special.

Eggs Benedict, because he overheard Usopp talking to Robin about a cafe with the best eggs Benedict he’d ever had. Yogurt parfait, because he saw Usopp sulking about having never tried it before. And blueberry pancakes, because he wanted to correct the glimmer of sadness he’d seen in the boys eyes, when he’d told Chopper how his mom used to make those for him.

He hoped it wouldn’t be too obvious and that Usopp would simply enjoy every single bite.

 

In through the doorway from the hall stepped Nami.

“Oh! Morning, Sanji,” she spoke in a surprised tone.

“Good morning, Nami dearest,” he greeted her like he usually would, but even he could hear that it wasn’t his normal, sprightly voice.

Sanji nearly flinched when he felt cobber eyes turning suspicious and calculating. It was a well-known fact that Nami was an expert at picking up on the little things.

Also, she was _relentless._

The blond man focused on cracking eggs open, hoping that she, for once in her life, would just drop it. The last thing he wanted was to have to get all gooey and sappy in front of her; he was a protector, not a wimp filled with emotions and shit.

“So,” she started, voice friendly as ever.

“Did you have a good time last night?”

You couldn’t tell that is was early in the morning by looking at the girl; her hair was on point, falling perfectly down her back, its color matching the light skin flowing out from under colorful garments.

A taunting glint made her eyes sparkle as she awaited Sanjis response.

“Yeah, it was fun,” he answered with no hesitation.

“And you, my lady?”

Nami grinned as she took a seat at a bar-stool and reached for a cup, from the coffee-tray that the love-cook had placed, in the center of the kitchen-island.

“Definitely fun!” she agreed, pouring steaming, black liquid into a white cup with yellow hearts.

“That Usopp guy,”

Sanji froze; he knew it was very unlikely that Nami was mentioning the boy by coincidence, but he still hoped that it was merely random.

“He really likes to stare,” she said and blew at the misty cloud forming over the hotness of her coffee-cup.

An egg fell into the bowl of yolks and whites, shell and all. The suited cook stared down at the mess he’d just made for a couple of seconds, before fixing his eyes at the girl; he’d expected some sort of victorious smirk, but what he saw was a much more surprised expression.

It was obvious that the redhead was putting pieces together, assembling a jigsaw with a picture she’d, somehow, completely missed.

“Wait,” her arms were crossed as her eyes lingered on Sanji in his frantic state.

If only he’d been able to keep it cool.

“You’ve noticed too!”

It wasn’t a question and she wasn’t wrong.

“I guess,” the blond man mumbled and turned to take care of the shattered eggshells in the bowl.

“You like him too? I can’t believe I’m just figuring that out now, but I guess I was too focused on the fact that he’s into you,” Nami spoke, matter of factly.

Sanji stopped whisking the eggs and stared attentively at the girl; it was scary, and most times annoying, how perceiving she was, almost as if she could read minds, but this time she wasn’t completely right:

“He doesn’t like me,” a forced smile rested on the lips that spoke.

“You’re not even gonna deny that you like him?” she asked, sounding weirdly disappointed, probably in the mood for a healthy discussion.

When Sanji didn’t reply, but merely turned his worried eyes onto the stove, where bacon was fizzling with great stamina, a huge, genuine grin spread on Namis face:

“Okay then,”

The man took in a deep breath and sighed discreetly as he let it back out; he didn’t want non of that shitty, sentimental crap, but it still felt good knowing that _someone,_ other than himself, knew.

“Oh my,” Nami suddenly bursted with a giggle in her tone.

Sanji looked up and followed the girls line of sight to the glass-door. Through it, he spotted a figure walking towards it.

Curly hair. Long nose.

“Speak of the devil,” the red-haired girl whispered towards the wide-eyed blond, whose heart was about to jump right up his throat.

 

As Nami and Usopp casually spoke, Sanji kept quiet and listened to the boys voice; it was a tad bit awkward, the way that it bounced up and down like a hilly landscape, but at the same time it was captivating and charming.

Now that the cook had learned why he’d been going crazy since Usopp entered his life, he felt pretty damn stupid that he hadn’t realized sooner. To be fair though, he had never had such feelings before, at least not as intense.

It took a lot of willpower to not look at the curly-haired beauty, but he decisively focused on the task of making breakfast.

_...stop starring, moron!_

Usopp clearly wanted Sanji to leave him alone and it wasn’t difficult to figure out why; from the newcomers point of view, Sanjis was a grumpy jerk, who’d been starring him down and never talked to him. And when they finally did speak, it hadn’t been any better.

_You annoy me._

It made his stomach turn, remembering that yes; he’d been such a jerk.

Such an idiot.

The love-cook made a silent agreement with himself, to comply and leave the boy alone. He would stop staring, even if it meant not looking into those calming, chocolate-colored spheres anymore.

And if Usopp ever decided to actually speak to him again, which he doubted, he would be welcoming, perhaps even chummy.

Hopefully that would be enough.

 

* * *

 

_4\. T_ _he outburst_

Sanji had truly believed that he’d gone through the worst part already; dealing with exhausting, inexplicable emotions surging through his body and soul, only finding some peace when secretly gazing to catch glimpses of dark, stray curls or tan, fidgeting hands.

It _had_ been hell, but this was much worse.

Now he knew how he felt and although it hadn’t even been a couple of days, he knew that he’d fallen hard. It was unlike anything he’d ever thought possible before.

And the very person causing him to feel like this was out of his reach, most likely due to his own foolishness.

 

Being a man of a certain posture, not really one for letting emotions getting the better of him, this had been an insufferable ride so far and as he sat amongst his group of friends, in their usual spot on the lawn, he laughed at some friendly quarreling between Luffy and the redheaded Nami; his crew-mates would always be able to cheer him up, but the clenching of his stomach still refused to let go.

Trying his best not to acknowledge the sudden rush of tiny, little wings, flapping desperately around within, which appeared when he heard a warm chuckle escaping from Usopps mouth, Sanji raked a nervous hand through his hair and took a deep breath.

And then he felt _it_.

The last couple of days, since their conversation in Namis kitchen, the man would suddenly feel eyes lingering on him, studying him.

Brown, accusing eyes, he imagined.

As Sanjis heart ran amok inside it’s cage, apparently trying to escape from its bounds, he felt a heat on his skin and a thousand thoughts drilling through his brain.

He knew that he needed to leave the boy alone; that’s what Usopp had expressed to his face and he wasn’t going to question it. Too many emotions, stirring under the surface, ready to pop up and make him say more obnoxious things like “you annoy me”. No way in hell he was going to risk it.

The temperamental love-cooks instincts were trying to tell him otherwise.

It was going to be impossible to ignore the boy, if he kept starring at him with those eyes.

Those beautiful, tempting eyes.

 

Sanji knew it only a split second before that he was going to speak:

“Stop starring at me!”

It hadn’t even sounded like his own voice, much more like a resentful thundering from within dark, ominous clouds. Determined not to let his agony show, he glared at the boy with frigid eyes.

Damn. Apparently he really was nothing, but a complete jerk.

It had actually felt good to get some frustration out, but the feeling soon passed once he took in the expression on the long-nose’s face. The adrenaline, gushing through his veins, blurred his vision and ability to properly read the look, but it was certainly not the way you’d want the person of your affection to look back at you.

It was physically hurting him and it needed to stop, by any means necessary.

“Moron,” Sanji mumbled under his breath after retracting his eyes from the boys, mimicking what he’d been told not that long ago.

That had to do it.

 

And sure enough; to both great relief and displeasure of the blond man, Usopp got up from his spot on the grass and promptly walked away.

Sanji wanted to look at him; he wanted to get up and run to stop him in his track, to wrap his arms around him and apologize, while pressing his face into those dark, curly locks to soak in their scent.

But of course he wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

The smoke from the newly lit cigarette between his lips did nothing to dull his pain. The love-cooks mind cursed at itself for falling head over heels, for being too thick-headed to realize it and for having to push away the boy he himself had so carelessly turned against him.

It was just his luck that his first real crush would end up like this.

 

A fierce smack to the back of his head brought him back to life, where Nami was looking at him in irritated disbelief; the rest of the group were quiet and seemed to be rather disappointed as well.

“Why would you do that?” the red-haired girl growled with lightning in her eyes.

Sanji looked towards the others for support, but it didn’t seem like he was getting any help at this point; he looked back at Nami and shrugged, knowing he wouldn’t be able to justify his action.

With an agitated sigh, she got up from the grass and firmly grasped Sanjis wrist. After allowing himself to get pulled up off of the ground, he followed her until they were out of earshot of their friends.

“Well? Care to explain?”

Namis arms were crossed and her brows furrowed, a foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

Just the thought of discussing this sensitive and private matter with anyone made the man cringe, but he also knew that he didn’t have a choice; this girl was _relentless_.

“He was starring at me,” he deadpanned, perfectly aware that it made him sound like a child.

A glint of amusement flickered in Namis eyes, but she didn’t move or say anything.

There was no easy way around this.

Sanji sank:

“Okay, fine! I like him,” he spoke hurriedly at the ground between them and shifted uncomfortably.

He needed another smoke.

“I like him a lot,” he peeked up into the girls eyes; she still wasn’t moving, but her eyes were warmer than before.

“Aren’t you supposed to be nice to the people you like?”

The suited man felt stupid, for being asked a question with such a straightforward answer, only it wasn’t quite as simple as that.

“Sure, but what do you do when that person doesn’t want anything to do with you?”

His reply made Nami frown even more:

“What makes you think that?” she asked, tilting her head a bit.

Remembering his confrontation with Usopp the other night made _this_ conversation even more unbearable; there was no way he was going to crumble into little, whimpering pieces in front of Nami.

He needed to keep it together.

“Just something he said Saturday night,” Sanji muttered, seemingly still insistent on having a dialogue with the ground.

He imagined this was what it was like to be a hormone-filled teenager, being questioned by his mother, and as a grown man with certain ideals to live up to it was completely humiliating.

Sanji couldn’t comprehend why anyone would do this crap by their own, free will.

There was a silence between the two and the blond man could tell that the girl was calculating and forecasting.

“Well,” she broke the quiet, a soft and kind tone emanating from her lips.

“Don’t you think it would be better to try and change his mind?”

Sanji pulled on his sleeve by the wrist, straightening out the fabric running up his arm, as he observed her with pensive eyes.

Now _that_ was a concept he could get behind, but…

“But what if it…,” his words were faint, as if he was only addressing himself.

“What if I can’t?”

The heart, beating behind his ribs, felt burdened and weighed down by hopelessness, but even though it was killing him, being this vulnerable in front of someone, he really needed an answer to his question.

He could feel Namis concerned eyes on him, which didn’t help at all.

“You have to try right? I haven’t seen you like this in…,” the redhead paused with a smirk.

“In forever,” she finished, unable to contain a loving grin.

Sanji wanted to trust in her words and follow her advice blindly, but a shadow of apprehension lurked in the back of his mind. He knew she was right; he could feel that he’d somehow changed after meeting Usopp and he didn’t want to go back to who he was before. The fact that he might have to do just that, was distressing.

What used to be a courageous man with a strong spirit, had been condensed to what seemed to be nothing, but a coward.

It was all or nothing.

Fuck.

 

Of course Nami noticed the concern and sheer dread in the blond mans eyes and being the brilliant people-person and cunning friend that she was, she took in a deep breath before continuing her advice:

“You need to apologize and you need to make it up to him,” she scolded, as she poked her finger into his chest repeatedly.

“Oh, auch! Okay, relax,” Sanji couldn’t help but to smile sheepishly at his friend.

“I will talk to him,” he added, followed by a shaky sigh.

This was going to be the death of him, but he knew his confidant was right.

At least there was a slight chance of this whole thing not ending in absolute disaster.

“Good,” Nami smiled with great satisfaction as she reached up to pat the man on his shoulder.

“Don’t postpone it!” she added with a deathly glare, before turning on the spot, waving a hand in the air.

“See ya later,”

 

Many flings and one-night stands with beautiful women had come and gone in Sanjis life, none of them any different from the one before it. None of them had made him feel anything beyond happy and satisfied. None of them had left him with sorrow, aching in his soul. They’d all been completely lovely and pleasing to the eye, but none of them came close to Usopp.

Of course Sanji had to try and change the boys mind, but he had no idea how he would do it; there was no way he could just treat him like another one of the bunch, because everything had changed.

He was undoubtedly on unfamiliar territory and obviously in over his head.

 

As the love-cook stood on the grass, tentative eyes spacing out while lost in thoughts, he instinctively got out a cigarette from the pack in his pocket. As he lit it and breathed in, he suddenly recognized something; he was standing right under the big shadow from the tree that Usopp had been sitting under the first time he ever saw him.

His eyes shot towards his crew, who were back to chatting and laughing, out under the sun. A cautious curve formed in the corner of his mouth, as he realized another thing; he didn't really know anything about the gorgeous, curly-haired stranger, who’d so unexpectedly appeared and captured his heart.

 

No, this wasn’t like anything Sanji had ever experienced before and yes, it was probably the scariest thing that had ever happened to him.

But he wasn’t going to give up without a fight.

An awkward, comfort zone shattering fight.

Most likely with a disappointing, unfulfilling outcome.

_Fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you enjoyed that! I had so much fun doing this and there will probably be more from Sanjis POV at some point!
> 
> I also hope next update wont be as long on the way as this chapter was... (I've been caught up in a game called Eco and also had a cold!)
> 
> Take care until next update! ~


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, sooo... A little late again, but better late than never, right? :)
> 
> This chapter is (kinda) in honor of Spook-tober, I hope you enjoy <3

The buzz of people chatting, mixed with the fragrant aroma of coffee, made for a rather cozy work-space; the view of the ocean through the big windows of the Spice Bean cafe was absolutely stunning, lighting the entire place up and making it seem more spacious than it actually was. The old, white-painted brick walls were decorated with various wall climbing plants, candles and succulents on wooden, floating shelves and the occasional black and white painting in between.

It was a semi-busy night, but Usopp, who had been lucky enough to get a job as a busboy at the location, was absentmindedly wiping off a round, walnut table.

On his mind, once again, lurked thoughts of a certain, blond cook and the conversation he’d had with Nami about him the day before. He hadn’t seen Sanji since his sudden outburst and, being the non-confrontational being he was, he dreaded the moment when he’d have to be near him again.

 

“Oi, Usopp! Stop daydreaming and clear table four,”

The boy flinched a bit from the cafe-owners words and instantly felt blood rush to his cheeks:

“Sorry, Mr. Yoshimoto! I’ll get right on it,” Usopp smiled apologetically and dug at his neck, before he turned and swiftly went on his way.

Cursing at himself for not focusing on his work, he picked up a tray to stack the dirty plates and mugs upon; he knew the title of busser wasn’t anything special, but he still took pride in doing a good job. Working at this place was what made it possible for him to stay in Sabaody, to live in a dorm-room all by himself, and there was no way he was going to fuck that up.

The tan boy straightened his green apron and mentally slapped himself, forcing himself not to think about silvery eyes and the tightness in his stomach.

 

Later, when Usopp stepped out the back of the cafe, into the dimming lights of nightfall, a calm breeze went by and stirred the tiny strands of curls on his damp forehead. He took in a deep breath of fresh, sea-scented air and left behind the hectic sensation from a stressful shift, as he walked out of the alley to go meet up with his friends.

Nami and Chopper were picking him up; the entire straw-hat crew were going to go see the new horror-movie the red-haired girl had talked about the day before.

Usopp loved movies, all kind off genres. They’d made him feel less alone, in a world where it seemed like no one wanted him around. And so, he’d become quite the film-wiz; a geek, even.

But since he’d never had neither funds nor friends, he’d never actually gone to a movie-theater before. Instead, the boy had been glued to the screen of his trusty, old laptop, watching every scene with great passion.

So when Nami’d texted him, late last night, asking if he would want to go watch _Thriller Bark_ , he’d been nothing less than ecstatic.

It hadn’t been until a couple of moments later that he’d realized that he would have to see Sanji again and he wasn’t sure if it was too soon.

Although, something within him _longed_ to be near the man.

 

“Usopp! Over here,” a tiny voice hollered from across the street.

The boy looked up from the cracked screen of his ancient phone, where he was typing out a message to Chopper, asking where they were, and waved with a cheerful grin, before crossing the street to join the pair.

The redhead in the blue summer-dress pulled Usopp in for a quick hug:

“You okay?” she whispered discretely.

Usopp nodded and smiled reassuringly at her when they pulled apart, causing a dazzling grin to emerge on the girls lips.

The loner had always wanted a sibling and with Nami it truly felt like he’d found just that. It made his heart flutter with warmness, thinking about how lucky he’d been.

 

“Ready for some spooks?” Nami said with a smirk as they walked along.

Orange and pink nuances made the horizon glow with fervor, as the sun slowly tucked itself in behind the edge of the ocean. Darkness had already taken over the other half of the sky, with only the sparkles of little stars to make it all seem less threatening and unending.

“Definitely,” Usopp exclaimed and giggled mischievously, rubbing his hands together.

“Ahh, I guess,” it sounded skeptically from the smaller one.

“You don’t think it’s too scary?” Chopper continued, unable to contain a nervous laugh.

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Usopp patted his friend on the shoulder.

He remembered not being that into jump-scares and the intense, creepy music of horror-films when he’d first started watching, so he didn’t blame Chopper for seeming a bit doubtful. Having watched as many movies as he had, he knew pretty much what to expect at this point and he doubted this one would be any different.

A flash of icy, gray eyes passed through his thoughts, sending a slight shiver down his neck; he quickly shrugged it of.

“I, the incredibly brave Usopp, will take care of you,” the boy teased in a loving manner.

Chopper smiled through a pout on his lips, unable to play the act of being mad.

“Thank you, _so_ much” he answered sarcastically and pushed at the shoulder of Usopp, who chuckled fondly and nudged his best friend with his elbow.

 

It wasn’t long before the three of them reached their destination; Usopp looked up at the building in front of him with enormous excitement. It was an older building, but the neon writing and numerous movie-posters on its walls brightened up the pale stones and pillars.

His eyes lingered on the poster right beside one of the glass double-doors. At the top, the words _Thriller Bark_ shined in black, dripping letters above a sinister-looking castle surrounded by a gloomy forest. A big, ominous shadow, of what seemed to be a man with crooked horns, loomed over the entire thing, hands clawing towards the towered building below. Usopp assumed the silhouette to be the “bad guy” of the film; he was intrigued and couldn’t wait to add another movie to his repertoire.

“Robin just texted, saying that they’ve already gone in” Nami spoke and looked up from her phone.

“They’re saving us some seats, so we better get some tickets and join them,”

Chopper and Usopp nodded agreeingly and followed the redhead through the doors, leaving the dusk of eve and it’s cooling air behind.

 

The three went to the ticket booth first and then went for a quick stop at the concession stand for snacks.

An unmistakable scent of popped corn and caramel clung to the atmosphere; along with the excited chatter of the people occupying the spacious lobby, all together it made for a quite soothing environment.

Usopp took in a deep breath of it all, while low-key also trying to calm his nerves, as they walked through a set of black, open doors.

For a second, the curly-haired boys breath was taken away. He’d _seen_ cinemas before, in movies of course, but being in one was a completely different thing. Not wanting to give away exactly how amazed he was, by something so common and accessible as a movie theater, he simply sank the lump in his throat and smiled; this was going to be awesome.

“Oi, you guys!” Luffys voice sounded loudly, not that far away; Usopp turned his head an instantly spotted the rest of the group sitting on the back-row.

“You don’t have to yell Luffy, we’re _right here_ ,” Nami sighed and threw her arms out, as if she was trying to explain something to a kid.

Usopp giggled and waved at their black-haired leader, who was already back at munching on a chocolate-bar. Zoros arm was resting on top of the back of Luffys seat and for once he wasn’t sleeping. By his other side sat Franky who was deeply engaged in conversation with the blue-eyed Robin, who was giggling at his words behind a graceful hand. And on the far end sat Sanji and Brook.

The sight of golden locks made Usopp tense for a second. He quickly averted his eyes in case those cold ones wanted to stare him down again; he wasn’t ready for that.

Nami sat down by Luffy and Usopp chose the seat between her and Chopper.To be sitting there, amongst friends, was absolutely lovely and the ex-loner felt his chest almost spilling over with affection.

Obviously, he wasn’t able to forget the fact that Sanji was sitting there as well, being as much a part of this group as he was. A part of him wanted to be closer to the cook; the part that vividly recalled what Nami had insinuated the day before, the part that caused his entire body to ache with longing when he was near.

The other part, the part that remembered the outburst, wanted to stay far out of his way.

 

It wasn’t long before the commercials began, during which a small popcorn fight broke out between Luffy and Franky; Zoro sat quietly between the two, tiny curve in the corner of his mouth, and it wasn’t until the movie started and Nami shushed at them that they settled down.

Usopp, who was snacking on the big bucket of popcorn in his lap, watched the intro with glee in his eyes. He could feel Chopper tensing up beside him, so he leaned over once in a while to whisper some sort of joke, ridiculing the bad guy and making him less scary.

About 20 minutes into the movie he felt Nami shuffle beside him, before she leaned in:

“Don’t be mad at me,” she spoke softly and patted his hand with her own.

Usopp frowned and turned away from the story on the screen to find out _why_ she would say that, but all he saw was the back of her head.

“Sanji, please switch seats with me? I need to talk to Robin,” Usopp heard the red-haired girls voice hiss down the row; a couple of heads in front turned to glare at the disturbance.

Panic arose within, heart suddenly pumping uncontrollable.

“Nami, what...” he started, but sadly words wouldn’t get him too far when his brain couldn’t follow.

After a short pause, he heard an answer being whispered back:

“Sure, sweet Nami,”

The words sounded much calmer than Usopp was feeling, which didn’t help at all. His brain scrambled through options and outcomes, none of which were good.

Nami got up and looked down at the boy, mouthing an apology and offering a gentle smile, before tiptoeing sideways towards her new seat.

“But I think I’m allergic,” Usopp whispered as a final struggle, but she was already gone.

“I suppose I could test you, but I don’t think that’s how it works,” the med-student mumbled from his other side.

Usopp turned to see a teasing grin on his best friends face, which actually helped a tiny bit.

“Maybe I have anti-cinema-tosis,” the shaky boy suggested, causing a snort to erupt from Chopper.

Amazed at his own ability to crack jokes at a time like this, he turned back to see Nami sitting down between Robin and Brook, before Sanji started making his way towards the empty spot beside him.

Usopp quickly turned his focus back onto the screen, where the main character was staring suspiciously at an old painting, but he was completely incapable of focusing on the story-line at this point.

When the suited man sat down next to him, it was the strangest feeling that ran through the boys body; a mixture of intimidation and arousal. He’d never been _this_ close to the man before, not even by accident, and suddenly all the peeks he’d stolen from afar seemed so innocent and long forgotten.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sanji settling in his cushioned seat, resting his ankle on top of the opposite knee as usual and his elbow sitting on the armrest, only an inch away from his own.

Usopp fought the urge to simply lean into the blonds space, which made every move he made felt awkward and mechanic.

“Hello,” Sanji whispered.

The boy froze; unsure if the greeting had been directed at him or at Luffy, he held his breath. The coward inside wouldn’t allow him to move a muscle, but when he felt the mans head turn to look at him, his reflexes took over; he flinchingly turned to look back at him and was instantaneously caught by silvery eyes in the dark.

A cautious smile rested on Sanjis lips as they watched each other.

“Oh, uhm...” Usopp stumbled and sank, too baffled to return the smile.

“Hi?”

The response caused the smile on the mans face to grow a bit, before he turned back towards the film.

Usopp wasn’t scared of horror movies anymore; he knew how they worked, all the tricks that were used to make the scenes seem scarier and more intense, but _this_ had caught him totally off guard. He heard a classic jump-scare happening on screen, followed by gasps and restrained yelps throughout the hall, and even as he looked to see a horrific face on the screen, with fangs in its mouth and stitches all the way down the middle, he was unmoved.

Except for the fact that his heart was definitely beating faster than it’d ever done before.

 

A couple of short moments later, Usopp couldn’t _really_ tell how long though, he felt the blond moving beside him again. He was leaning in, just a tiny bit, but quite enough for the curly-haired boy to be extremely aware of just how close they were; he could hear his steady breaths clearly in his ear, even over the sharp, high-pitched tones from the horror-flick.

There was a short pause before Sanji spoke and it was almost unbearable.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Once again, the boy was stumped and he wished he could just pull up his hoodie and tighten its strings, until the blush on his face was completely hidden. It was incredible, listening to Sanjis words with so little space between them, so much that he almost forgot that some sort of answer was probably expected.

He was pretty certain he knew exactly what the apology was for, but his frantic mind simply wouldn’t cooperate.

Sanji didn’t move away and the boy decided to stay quiet; better to say nothing than to say something stupid, which felt likely to happen.

“For being such a jerk, I mean,” the whispers finally continued.

“I guess I don’t do too good with change and I’m sorry I took it out on you,”

Usopp nervously stroked the back of his hand with his thumb as he listened.

“You never did anything wrong and...”

The boy could tell that Sanji was struggling and it actually felt good, knowing that _he_ wasn’t the only one.

“And I would really like it if we could start over?” the man ended in a wary tone; it was clearly a loaded question and Usopp somehow knew that his answer was incredibly important.

Every bit of courage was gathered up, before he leaned a little towards Sanji as well, both eyes still on the screen.

“Clean slate?” he asked forthrightly.

When he heard a silent chuckle from the man beside him, his heart definitely skipped a beat and the fight to hold back a grin was lost.

“Clean slate!” Sanji agreed.

Neither of them looked at each other, but Usopp knew this was a special moment for both of them; being this close to the cook for the first time, he could somehow feel it, and having had their first decent conversation, it felt like a bond had finally been made.

A connection.

Neither of them leaned back into their upright positions either, which suited the loner perfectly fine. His heart was still galloping around his chest, but the nausea that had erupted from his panicky state before, was gone. He felt lighter than ever before, like no worries could ever reach him, here in the dark.

“You’re just saying that ‘cause I’ve got the popcorn,” Usopp whispered and took one of the many white, fluffy clouds from the red bucket in his lap; the salty snack crunched effortlessly between his teeth.

Another chuckle, this time a little louder, sounded from the blond at his side. The boy, who was suddenly feeling a lot bolder, turned to look at him with a taunt in his eyes, but he almost lost focus when Sanji looked back at him.

Those calm, gray eyes, which Usopp never thought he would get to see up close, had a warmth to them that he never thought would be directed at him.

He’d seen it many times before, but _never_ directed at him.

“Of course,” Sanji whispered through his grin and shrugged.

Usopp could get used to this.

He moved the bucket a little closer to the black pants beside his own worn-out jeans and tilted it a bit, granting full permission if the blond wanted to taste; without much hesitation, a strong, pale hand reached over and gently dunked into the container, fishing out some popcorn between slender fingers.

“Thanks,”

“No problem,”

 

Usopp didn’t catch much of what happened on screen after that. In fact, he didn’t focus on much else than Sanjis breathing and the occasional grab for snacks.

The curly-haired boy knew that he would have to go back to watch another movie at some point, to get the full experience, although this had, without a doubt, been the best “first time cinema experience” he could’ve ever had.

Maybe, next time, he could sit next to Sanji again.

Maybe, then, he could get a _little_ closer.

That would be nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it was a tiny bit shorter than the others! :)
> 
> The next chapter will be something really special, another *bonus* chapter! Yaaaay! ~  
> It'll be something I haven't tried before and I really hope it'll be as good as I picture it in my head!
> 
> Take care until next time! <3


	8. Chapter 8 (One Week) *bonus*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here it is, a new bonus chapter!
> 
> I'm really excited about this one! It was supposed to be a lot shorter, but I just couldn't give this chapter justice unless I kept writing! ~(^-^~)
> 
> So please, enjoy! ~

**Tuesday**

  


Nami

_Major: Agriculture_

_Minors: Management, Finance And Economics_

  


Nami had a plan.

Nami almost always had a plan, which was how she liked it.

She would choose her outfit for the following day before she went to bed at night and lay it out on a chair in her bedroom. She would hang schedules of work and classes on the fridge, to make sure she would never forget anything. She would almost always be the one to decide on and plan out special events for her and her group of friends.

Her future was also carefully chosen; when her mother died, she was left with her massively successful tangerine plantation and Nami wanted nothing else, than to continue her beloved mothers work. Not for the huge amount of money it brought in, but because she really wanted to.

The income was only a bonus.

  


When she walked into the cinema-hall with her two friends, she also had a plan. A _really_ specific plan.

The red-haired beauty, surprisingly, didn’t like playing the role of puppet-master and would never meddle, unless it was absolutely necessary. So, when she saw her friend Robin seated next to Sanji, just like she’d planned, it was a blend of delight and uneasiness that stirred within.

Watching her new friend and her old friend, being so obviously attracted to each other, but continuously messing it up, had proven to be too much for Nami to handle. When something was clearly meant to be, she had to push aside her own discomfort to help out her friends.

Just a gentle nudge in the right direction.

And that was why, when the movie started and everyone had settled in the dimness on the back-row, she set her plan into motion.

  


She could see the absolute horror in Usopps eyes when she got up to switch seats with the blond cook; out of sheer empathy, she mouthed the word “sorry” before she moved along the seats.

When she reached Sanji on the other side, she was met by a set of nervous eyes. She gave him a soft pat on his shoulder and looked back at him with knowing eyes. He nodded in response, cautious smile on his lips, and she knew that it was clear to him what he needed to do.

  


When the movie was over and they were all walking out, Nami was pleased to see her two friends, walking silently, side by side; they weren’t speaking, but they obviously felt comfortable being close to each other. Tiny smiles rested on both faces, which caused a relieved sigh and a smirk from the girl.

She had a strong gut-feeling that she wouldn’t have to meddle anymore.

But she would definitely plan another special event for her beloved family soon.

  


  


**Wednesday**

  


Brook

_Major: Music Performance_

_Minor: Music Management_

  


Brook was a man of rather few words.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like to talk or that he never had anything to say, he just enjoyed watching, listening, absorbing, and the group of friends he’d somehow found himself in was the perfect place to do just that.

  


For a long time, Brook thought he’d been forgotten by the world. When tragedy hits, you either get back up or you slowly wither away. Brook had withered, cracked and faded away, into his own foggy sea of pain and misery.

Until finally, one day, a boy wearing a straw-hat had pulled him up and out, back into the sun. Brook felt like he owed Luffy everything, but he knew the boy wanted nothing but his friendship.

And so, he’d started anew; revived from the dead.

  


Music had been a huge part of his life before and ever since he’d started playing the guitar again, he hadn’t been able to stop. He would play what he saw and how he felt inside, and his new friends made it so incredibly easy for him to do so.

Not only was something of interest always happening, but they also _loved_ his music.

  


Sitting in their usual spot on the grass, Brook looked around at his friends, his family, as he played a rather up-beat melody on the six strings beneath his fingers; the weather was exquisite and the mood was high amongst the chatting group.

He couldn’t help, but to laugh at a completely inappropriate joke told by Franky, but he never skipped a beat in the rhythm, emanating from his instrument.

His eyes glided and fell upon the newest member of their crew; Usopp was gesturing with his hands as he described something to Sanji, who was sitting right beside him. Their eyes would meet once in a while, which would cause small, yet unreserved smiles to emerge on both their faces.

There was something incredibly beautiful and timeless about the sight, of two people so obviously in sync, getting to know each other through tentative questions and precarious silences.

Without thinking, Brooks tones gradually changed into something slower, something more intimate.

Something romantic.

Maybe he could’ve been more discreet about it, because the pair suddenly stopped talking and turned their heads to look at him; Sanji had a mortified look painted on his face and Usopp tried hard to hide the pinkish color of his cheeks.

Instantly realizing that he’d disturbed something that wasn’t his to disturb, something the two of them hadn’t even defined yet, Brook swiftly switched back to the cheerful tune from earlier.

  


After a while, of deliberately ignoring the deadly glare being shot in his direction, from the silvery eyes of the love-cook, the oldest one of the group leaned back and lay on the grass, fingers still plucking delicately at the tightened strings of his guitar.

It felt wonderful, being alive.

Under the gleaming sun.

Right in the midst of love.

  


  


**Thursday**

  


Robin

_Major: Archaeology_

_Minors: History, Language Studies_

  


Lately, Robin had been having trouble studying.

She’d been having a hard time focusing on _anything,_ really.

It wasn’t completely impossible, since books were pretty much like air to the young woman, but this was something she’d never experienced before.

  


The raven-haired girl came from a long line of history professors and licensed archaeologists, all of them on the search for a huge discovery. Something so tremendous and mythical that, if it were to be proven right, it would change everything.

At least, that’s what she’d been told growing up.

She’d never really known her parents and had been raised by her uncle and his wife; he’d been kind, but she had not. It’d been a tough childhood, but she’d been able to push through, thanks to a certain professor and the ever-expanding world of books.

The professor had taught her about her linage and forced her to believe in herself and her abilities, and Robin would be forever grateful, because the strength he gave her, led her to Sabaody.

To her new family.

  


As time had passed, the goal of uncovering an ancient part of history, turned into more of a dream, but it was a part of her, something she would never give up.

Just like her ability to read.

Not only books, but people too. She would never make it known, but often times she would know how her loved ones felt, even before they’d realized it themselves.

But recently, something had changed; over the past six months or so, she’d found herself in an unusual position, in which there was someone she couldn’t read.

And not just _anyone._

Someone so devilishly handsome, with the most distractedly charming smile and unreasonably massive muscles. And, of course, the blue mohawk on top of his head.

Robin looked up from her book to peek at him again; she’d been quick to realize that she was, indeed, attracted to Franky, but she’d given up on figuring out why such feelings had suddenly surfaced.

She took another sip of her coffee, using it as an excuse to not look at her book a bit longer. She really liked how the lighting in the Spice Bean cafe highlighted Frankys prominent features. He was smiling brightly and nodding along as he conversed with Sanji, leaving the fake-studying girl mesmerized.

Forcing herself to avert her eyes, she rested them on the blond cook for a little while; the evolution of his and Usopps relationship over the last couple of days had been interesting, to say the least. She’d known it was only a matter of time, before the two would get past the apparent misunderstanding that had divided them so horribly when they first met.

Usopp, who was still working for another 30 minutes, walked by the table where the two men were chatting, with some dirty cups on a tray.

Robin saw Sanjis gray eyes shoot up in an attempt at catching the brown ones, as their owner passed him; he succeeded and was left with a soft smile and what Robin interpreted, as a rise in heartbeats and a fluttery stomach.

Just like how she would feel with Franky.

She returned to her book, as her mind continued to wander.

  


Later that night, when Robin had gone home, she received a text on her phone:

“So, when do I get to take you out on a date?”

A warm smile took a hold of her lips as she re-read the words a couple of times.

This was quite possibly the best thing she’d ever read.

  


  


**Friday**

  


Franky

_Major: Mechanical Engineering_

_Minors: Mechatronics, Robotics And Automation Engineering_

  


It was 7 minutes past midnight and Franky couldn’t sleep.

Instead, he was sat by his PC, watching videos from the world championship of robot combat; he didn’t particularly enjoy the fighting part, but the creativity and effort that was put into making those robust, metallic machines of death amazed him.

He’d started building his own robots at a young age. They’d started as something simple and fun, but had turned more and more complex as time went by.

And more and more fun, too.

  


The man was slowly dozing off, his head sliding farther and farther down the hand supporting it, when a buzzing noise woke him up.

He looked at the digital numbers in the corner of the screen, where a wheeled robot was ramming into another one with spiked hammers; 00:24, it said.

He found his phone, the source of the vibrating that had woken him, and checked it with lazy eyes. When he saw _her_ name at the top of a new message, his eyes lit up.

He opened the text without hesitating:

“How about this weekend?”

Franky smiled at the square in his hands and chuckled; he wasn’t sure why he’d been so nervous about her answer. It wasn’t like him to be nervous about anything.

Except now, he was suddenly more nervous than ever before.

It seemed like this would be a sleepless night.

  


The following morning, and at least six cola energy-drinks later, Franky rushed through campus; he needed to catch Sanji between classes to ask for his advice.

“Bro!” he roared over a crowd of people.

Sanji turned around and greeted him with a wave, before moving towards him.

“What’s up Franky?” the blond man asked, then looked up and down the tall one.

“Are you okay?” he added, obviously noticing the hectic state of his hair and the unevenly buttoned Hawaii-shirt.

“Huh? Oh, yeah dude, I’m fine” Franky hurried through his words and did a thumbs-up.

“I just really need your help,”

The man couldn’t contain a stupid grin when he was reminded of why he was here.

“I’ve asked Robin out and I have no idea where to take her,” he said, knowing that it sounded silly, but he didn’t care; Sanji was like family and he knew he would give his input.

The suited man didn’t seem too surprised about it, but the smile on his face let Franky know, without any exchange of words, that he was happy for him.

“Ah, so you’ve come to the master for guidance?” Sanji lifted his chin and adjusted his tie a little.

The engineer student had always been impressed with the love-cook and his ability to woo and being rather inexperienced in that area himself, he was happy to have a friend like him to aid him.

“Exactly! Like, what’s the perfect date?” Franky started.

“It has to be super fun, but romantic at the same time,” he added with thoughtful eyes.

He could tell Sanji was scrambling through ideas in his mind as well.

“Where do you plan to take Usopp on your first date?” the blue-haired man asked, hoping to get some inspiration.

The frazzled look on the blonds face, accompanied by an intense flush of his cheeks, told Franky that he might’ve just wandered into unwanted territory.

“Oh, dude! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” he apologized and gave his friends shoulder a pat.

Sanji shook his head:

“No! No, it’s just I haven’t...” the mans eyes flickered a bit as he spoke, before the silvery orbs turned suspicious.

“How do you even know about that?”

Franky grinned and chuckled.

“Bro, it’s kinda obvious,” he simply said, which caused a sheepish smile to wiggle over Sanjis lips.

“Let’s meet up after classes, I promise I’ll help you figure out something _really_ super!” the cook grinned, cheeks still pink.

“Thanks, Sanji! See ya later,”

  


Franky smiled as he walked back through campus.

He knew that his first date with Robin, his first date _ever_ , was going to be great.

It was going to be super.

  


  


**Saturday**

  


Chopper

_Major: Medicine_

_Minors: Neurobiology And Neurosciences, Pharmaceutics And Drug Design_

  


Chopper was at the library, studying, with his friend Usopp.

For once, the sky was covered with a thin layer of light-gray clouds, so the two of them didn’t mind spending some time indoors, in front of inked pages.

  


Some might call Chopper “special” or “unusual”; he wasn’t as old as the rest of the students in the Grand Line University and he wasn’t very big of his age to begin with.

He looked out of place, like a caterpillar among butterflies, but he didn’t feel that way himself.

Not _anymore_ , that is.

Before meeting and joining the straw-hat crew, he didn’t really have anyone. The only thing that had kept him going strong, was his strong mind and will to do good in this world.

The boys dream, was to become a doctor; one that could help and cure, heal and fix.

In an ideal world, every disease was curable and no one would ever leave too soon, but Chopper knew that that was completely unrealistic.

Some years back, he’d lost his guardian, his only family, to a horrible sickness that hadn’t been spotted in time, and he missed him every, single day.

It brought him joy, knowing that he would’ve been so proud of his accomplishments.

  


Since Chopper met Usopp, he’d learned that the curly-haired boy had also been alone for a while; far longer than himself, but it still meant that they understood each other. He knew immediately that Usopp would fit perfectly into the new family he’d found.

And he did.

Now, it was like he’d been there always and sitting opposite him at the old, wooden table between tall, book-filled shelves, was comfortable and homey.

Chopper was a bit concerned though; lately Usopp had been showing weird symptoms and no matter which medical-book or manual he flipped through, he couldn’t figure out exactly what could be the issue.

Flushed face. Unable to focus. Enlarged pupils. Troubled speech.

It didn’t make any sense, but he wasn’t about to let his best friend suffer some horrible fate.

  


“Usopp, you’re looking out the window again,” Chopper spoke softly with worried eyes.

The hoodie-wearing boy shook his head and grinned, before waving it off with a hand:

“Sorry, I guess my mind wandered off again,”

The tiny med-student looked him up and down with attentiveness.

“Do you have a fever?” he asked over the book in his hands.

Usopps brows furrowed as he looked back at him and hesitantly shook his head:

“Uhm, no? I don’t think so,”

The answer calmed Chopper a bit, as he mentally crossed off a bunch of illnesses on the list in his head.

“Are you having trouble sleeping?” the squeaky voice continued.

“What? Sometimes, I guess? Wait, why are you asking these questions?”

Chopper sighed; he just had to come clean.

“You’ve been having these weird symptoms lately and I just can’t figure out what could be the cause of them,” he blurted out, almost getting teary-eyed; he knew that it was silly of him, but just the thought of losing his friend to some disease was terrifying to him.

Usopp looked utterly baffled.

“What kind of symptoms?” he asked, narrow-eyed.

As the small-framed boy started listing of the curious things he’d observed, Usopps face turned more and more red.

Chopper stopped, eyes turning big and horrified.

“You’re doing it again! Here, let me check your pupils!” he demanded and got up from his chair.

The shaky chuckle from the other boy made him stop in his track.

“Chopper, it’s not...” Usopp started and dug at his neck.

“I’m not sick, I promise!”

He took in a deep breath.

“I-have-a-crush-on-Sanji!” the words rambled from his mouth.

Chopper stared at him in disbelief, but as soon as the message got through all the clutter of symptoms and worries for his friend, he couldn’t hold back a grin.

Then he giggled.

Then they both laughed.

They laughed so much that the librarian came to shush them with a strict finger, pointing to the “QUIET PLEASE” sign.

  


Chopper felt quite dumb, for creating such terrible scenarios in his head.

But still, better safe than sorry.

  


  


**Sunday**

  


Zoro

_Major: Athletic Training_

_Minor: Kinesiology And Excersise Science_

  


Sundays were his favorite.

This particular Sunday was especially nice; the weather was warm and for once his boyfriend was wasn’t moving around so much, making his lap a better resting place than usual.

It was always really nice though, laying with his head on the legs of his soulmate.

Eyes closed, all he could see was the fuzzy glow of the sun from the other side of the lids, but he was stilling listening closely to everything around him.

There was something therapeutic about feeling the world without using the sense of sight; Zoro had learned a lot about meditating at a young age and to this day, he still felt the need to do so every day.

  


But, before meeting Luffy, back when the term “straw-hat crew” wasn’t even a thing yet, Zoro was stuck for a while. Both physically and mentally.

He was working at some dead-end job; every day, from nine til five, he sat behind a desk and took care of documents for a law company.

He hated every second, but it paid the bills.

And what else was he supposed to do with his life?

Most times, he would sit at his desk and remember how it had felt like, when he was young and the world was his to grab. He wanted to go places, to _do_ things. Great things.

That had been the plan he had made with his childhood friend; the two of them would spend every waking moment together, training martial arts in her fathers dojo and meditating near the waterfall in the forest. It was the two of them against the world and nothing could’ve gotten in their way.

But something did.

After a horrible accident, his friend was put in the ground and so was his hopes and dreams.

Zoro had given up and he’d forgotten about all the good things; it seemed like there was no ease on the horizon, no light at the end of the tunnel.

That was until a certain black-haired boy, with an ass that wouldn’t quit, walked right into his life and saved him; it wasn’t long, before he flipped off the boss and walked out of those boring, white doors for good.

The man, who’d been defeated by the unfairness of life, returned with renewed strength and slowly, but surely, he got back into training and meditation.

He re-discovered himself and in the process he’d found peace.

And love.

  


Zoro wasn’t one for being sentimental, but his new family meant the world to him. Even Usopp, who was rather new in the group, was just as much someone he would risk his life for as the others.

Even Sanji, who he would be fighting with most times, he would still stand up for in any kind of situation.

He would never let him know that though, but he liked to think that the damn curly-brow felt the same about him.

Zoro shifted his attention from behind closed eyes; he could hear the cook talking to Usopp, not that far from Luffy and him.

He zoned in and listened for a bit:

“Really? You’ve never had cheesecake?”

“No? Have I been missing out?”

“Not really, no...”

There was a short pause before Sanji continued:

“Cheesecakes in general are okay, but mine are _phenomenal_!”

Zoro could just imagine the smug look on that stupid face of his; Usopp chuckled a bit.

“Oh, really? Well, I guess you have to prove it then,”

“I’d love to,”

To others, it might not be as obvious, but the green-haired man could tell that they were both smiling and he could almost hear how hard their hearts drummed within their rib-cages.

A flutter of something.

He shifted his focus back onto Luffy, whose thumb was now gently stroking the skin behind his ear; he listened to his steady breaths and felt the vibrations of his body when he spoke and laughed.

A mild flutter of his own erupted in his stomach.

Zoro could never blame _anyone,_ for wanting something like this.

  


  


**Monday**

  


Luffy

_???_

  


Family.

To Luffy, it was the single most important thing in the world.

But what defines family?

Is it the blood, in your veins that connects you, to the woman who birthed you and the man who helped create you?

Or is it something completely different?

Maybe it’s a _feeling_. A strong feeling, of love towards the people you want to be near all the time.

The people you want to protect.

But you can’t always protect everyone; Luffy had to learn that the hard way.

  


Him and his brother, Ace, were inseparable. Sure, they would have their fall-outs, just like you’d expect siblings to do, but you’d never guess that they weren’t related by blood.

They both lived with Luffys biological grandfather, Garp, who’d always wanted great things for the boys. He’d expected them to get good educations and decent jobs, not only because it was the right thing to do, but also because of his own position; as the president of the Grand Line University, it was expected for Garps grandsons to excel in life.

But those with strong minds and wills can rarely be broken down. The graying grandpa couldn’t force the boys onto “the right path”, but of course he never really stopped trying.

When the brothers grew older, into their teenage years, Ace got mixed up with the wrong crowd and he didn’t really consider getting out before it was already too late.

Even though Luffy tries to never think of that night, it’s something that will never leave him; running through the streets to get to him and rain dripping down his face, as he reaches out for the lifeless body on the ground before him.

It was a drive-by shooting and all it took was a single bullet to the heart.

To those people, it was like a mere execution of justice, but to Luffy it meant a world of hurt and everything around him was shattered into pieces.

  


It took a long time before he was able to lift himself up and get back into the world, but when he finally did, he did so with new hope, because he knew that that’s what his brother would’ve wanted.

And once he carefully stepped out into the sun again, he’d stumbled across someone; Zoro.

He met him by accident, but they’ve stuck together ever since.

In fact, that was how Luffy met all the members of the straw-hat crew; by accident. They were all kinds of shapes and colors, but they all shared something. They all knew what it was like to lose someone, to not have _someone_. They all needed a family, a safe place.

And so, without any sort of discussion, Luffy had welcomed every single one of them with open arms.

To the world, the boy with the straw-hat might seem like an oblivious, obnoxious goofball; someone who doesn’t acknowledge all the pain and suffering that covers the face of the earth, but that’s not the case at all.

Luffy had felt loss and agony so great that he’d felt like he would rather die.

But he came back, better and stronger than before.

Ready to enjoy life again.

  


As Luffy sat with his dear family, by the pool in Namis garden, he looked at them all and smiled with no restraint and he knew that, although he never got an education or a job, everything was going to be just fine as long as he had his crew.

With Zoros arm around his back, he sat on the grass and laughed wholeheartedly at the hilarity taking place before him; Franky was telling another one of his crazy tales of adventures past, with flailing arms and an animated face. The rest were cheering and yelling out funny comments as he acted through his story and they were all laughing so hard they had to clutch their stomachs and wipe away tears.

 _This_ was the real treasure of life and Luffy never wanted or needed anything else.

He knew that his grandfather would never approve, but he didn’t care much.

  


Later in the evening, when things were much calmer and the sky was darkened, everyone was gathered at the fire, talking about anything between heaven and earth.

Luffys hand was strolling through the forest atop Zoros head as he listened carefully; not often, but sometimes, the boy liked to just be quiet and listen, which was something he’d learned from his boyfriend.

“I’m just...”

The voice belonged to Usopp and he sounded vulnerable.

“I’m so happy that I found you guys! I never thought I would belong anywhere or be worth anything and for some time, in the beginning, I was afraid that you would all just...”

It seemed like his voice was about to crack, but he swallowed down and pulled through:

“I thought that once you got to know me, you’d just turn your backs and forget I ever existed,”

A shaky, involuntary chuckle escaped from his throat; a huge grin was stretched across Luffys face.

“I’m sorry guys! Beer makes me so sentimental,”

“And chatty!” Nami added with a giggle; the rest agreed with laughs of their own.

“And brave,” Sanjis voice sounded, a bit lower, as if he’d been talking to himself.

Luffy looked to the stars and wondered if there could possibly be a place out there, somewhere, where life would be better than this. He quickly reached the conclusion:

“I love you guys!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say that I have zero idea on how university and such really works, so if the majors and minors doesn't make too much sense; I'm sorry! xD <3  
> (I researched it a lot and I'm kinda happy I'm not going to university/college! o-O )
> 
> But yeah, this was just a fun little thing I came up with, as to get to know the other members of the crew a little better, before we continue on with Usopp and Sanjis story! I know my fic revolves a lot about those two, but that's just the way I like to write. :)
> 
> Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought of this bonus chapter! Your comments make me SO SO SO happy and I can't even believe the support I've gotten so far!
> 
> Thank you guys! Take care until next time! ~


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